Mariners manager Tony Walmsley, in town as a guest speaker at the Football Wagga gala night on Friday, invited Ploenges to trials with club’s youth league team.

The 19 year-old striker, who was shocked to receive the 2015 Player of the Year Award, was even more surprised to hear he was on the Mariners’ radar.

“It was very surprising, he’s never seen me play,” Ploenges said.

Trials take place in Orange later on in the month.

“Having to be as good as people say I am is going to be challenging but I’ll see how I go,” he said.

Ploenges doesn't have any tricks up his sleeve to impress selectors, he just plans to play naturally.

This season the striker has blitzed it in the Pascoe Cup competition, scoring a total of 52 goals.

“I don’t think anyone’s scored 48 goals as long as I can remember,” Henwood Park coach Kyle Doswell said before last week’s game when Ploenges scored four against Tumut.

Ploenges is willing and ready to learn a different style of soccer for the National Youth League.

“I’ve got to be able to adapt to how they play, I won't be scoring off a simple through ball, it’s going to be more of a build up,” Ploenges said.

As a youngster, he hoped to play soccer professionally, but in recent years he has focused more on the social aspect of the game, opting to play for his local club Henwood Park rather than dual registering with the Wagga City Wanderers this season.

However, his chat with Walmsley renewed his childhood dreams.

“I just started to like the social side of things, playing soccer with my mates rather than getting too serious,” he said. “Now I’ve got the opportunity I’m starting to think about where it could take me.”

Ploenges will not play in the major semi final against Junee this weekend due to suspected strained quadriceps.

The niggling injury flared up last Sunday.

“I should have sat out against Tumut last week,” he said.

He will visit the physio on Thursday to hear the prognosis but is hoping to return to the field in a week or two.