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ballflWeekly Times | MITCHELL Banner’s already decorated football career will get another ­addition this weekend.

The former Port Adelaide player will play senior interleague football for the first time this weekend, for Ballarat, which takes on the metropolitan Western ­Region Football League on Saturday at Footscray’s Whitten Oval.

The so-called “Battle of the West” is part of the Worksafe AFL Victoria Community Championships.

Banner, who turns 26 next month, said he was happy to wrap up his VFL career after winning a premiership with Williamstown last year.

He joined reigning Ballarat league premier Darley this season to play with his mate and former Western Jets teammate Steven Kennedy.

Banner, who was a Melton South junior footballer, said he was “pretty excited” about his first senior interleague game.

“Obviously, knowing the Melton clubs more so than the Ballarat ones ... it’s good to get to know the best in the league and especially the Ballarat teams,” he said.

“That’s what’s enticed me most about the challenge — to come up against a good opposition but more so to play with guys that you’re going to come up against every week.

“It’s good to get to know them and who they are and how they play.”

Ballarat coach Shaun O’Loughlin has announced Kennedy will captain the Ballarat side.

“(Banner is) keen and passionate about representing the league, and any opportunity to have players with that experience at a higher level in the representative side makes the side better,” O’Loughlin said.

The Western Region released its 26-man interleague squad on Sunday and ex-AFL stars Brendan Fevola, Brian Lake and Mark Williams — who were in the initial squad — did not feature.

“Those that are in there are committed to representing the Western Region and they will be very, very difficult to beat,” O’Loughlin said.

“If we can play very well we’ll have a good chance but we’re expecting a really hard and competitive game and hopefully a great game for people to watch and showcasing the skills of the leagues.”

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