The Courier |
The Central Highlands Football League has named an initial 50-man squad that will be whittled down to a team to take on Loddon Valley in next month’s country football championships.
The Central Highlands Football League has named an initial 50-man squad that will be whittled down to a team to take on Loddon Valley in next month’s country football championships.
Highlanders’ coach Greg Middleton yesterday revealed the group of players who will come under consideration for the senior clash at Bungaree on May 24.
Seventeen of the league’s 18 member clubs are represented in the squad, which will be cut to about 25 following a second Sunday training session on May 11.
Middleton said the final side would be a balanced one and made up of players who wanted to be part of the interleague concept.
“We will send that list out and it’s up to them to contact me if they don’t want to be part of it,” Middleton said.
A host of big names are in the squad, including league best and fairest winners Nick Sullivan (Waubra) and Andy McKay (Hepburn), as well as a range of new players to the league this year.
“There’s quite a few blokes that have been there the last couple of years, which I think will help with the fluency of the side and the camaraderie, I guess,” Middleton said.
“We’ve also got a good blend of new blokes, too.”
Middleton will be assisted throughout the interleague campaign by Hepburn coach Clive Raak, who will focus on the forwards, Dunnstown’s Jaye Cahir, who will look after the midfield, and Springbank’s Tim Malone, who takes care of the defence.
Central Highlands takes on Loddon Valley following interleague victories over Ellinbank and District in 2012 and the Ovens and King competition last year.
CHFL SQUAD
BUNINYONG: Sam Turner, Ned Gilbert, Jarrod Morgan
CLUNES: Jayden Hind, Nicholas Hind, Justin Harris
LEARMONTH: Glen Coleman, Jacob Werts, Brenton Powell
CRESWICK: Alex Code, Liam Hepworth, Caleb Hepworth
ROKEWOOD-CORINDHAP: Lowell Hunter
HEPBURN: Daniel Smith, Brendan Sutcliffe, Andrew McKay, Bradley McKay, Ken Cummings, Dan O’Halloran, Brad Stringer
WAUBRA: Jason Delaney, Jimmy Rushton, George Russell, Nick Sullivan
BUNGAREE: Marty Dufty, Chris O’Keefe, Shaun Finlayson, Joel Mahar, Jason Linke, Dave Benson
SPRINGBANK: Paul McMahon, Luke Fisher, Tim Malone, Tom Eltringham, Joel Maher, Simon Quinlan
BALLAN: Ryan Closter
DUNNSTOWN: Sam Jenkins
CARNGHAM-LINTON: Nathan Pring
GORDON: Mark Gunnell, Luke Gunnell, Ash Munari
BEAUFORT: Damien Day, Jacob Garvey
SKIPTON: Tyrone Ross
NEWLYN: Nathan Skewes
DAYLESFORD: James Evans, Trent Nesbitt, Michael Cummings, Sebastian Walsh