Bendigo Advertiser | BALLARAT has named an experienced 45-man squad for this month's AFL Victoria Country Championship clash with Bendigo.
Ballarat coach Shane Skontra has included 14 of the 23 players that represented Ballarat in last year's 65-point defeat to Goulburn Valley.
Former Kyneton duo Shane Page and Rhys Ellis are two of Darley's seven representatives in the squad.
Lockington-Bamawm United premiership player Jarod Bacon, who played for the Bendigo Gold last year, was also named in the Ballarat squad.
Bacon is on the North Ballarat Roosters' VFL list and is aligned with Redan in the Ballarat league.
“We have been able to put together a squad of committed players who are really looking forward to the challenge,” Skontra told the Ballarat Courier.
“We aim to draw on the experiences the players gained from last year’s campaign.
“With the integration of new, established and high-quality players, it makes us excited about the final mix we will have.”
Bendigo and Ballarat have split their past two inter-league encounters.
An undermanned Bendigo team stunned Ballarat in 2011, while Ballarat evened the score in 2013, winning by 23 points at Eastern Oval.
The Ballarat versus Bendigo game will be played at Eastern Oval on May 23.
The winner advances to next year's third versus four play-off game, while the loser slips back to the seventh versus eighth clash.
Ballarat's 45-man squad:
Bacchus Marsh: Cameron Richardson, Declan Phyland, Tim Hughes (D).
Ballarat: Adam Sewell, Daniel Kennedy, Mitch Martin (D).
Darley: Steven Kennedy, Shane Page, Rhys Ellis, Jake Edwards, Nathan Lyons, Jarrod Edwards, Darren Leonard.
East Point: Jonathan Lanyon*, Daniel Tung, Paul Kodorenko.
Lake Wendouree: Steve Clifton, Angus Kirby, Jackson Bowen*, Lucas Anderson*, Tyler Blake*, Nathan Pring, Nathan Monk (D).
Melton: Brad Murphy, Nick Gale, Matthew Notman. Melton South: Angus Storey.
North Ballarat City: Ryan Hobbs, Simon McCartin, Derick Micallef, Shaun Lyle*, Marcus Darmody, Mitchell Gilbert, Ben Hurley (D).
Redan: Nathan Horbury*, Jarod Bacon*, Callum Currie, Chris Giampaolo, Mitch Phelps, Grant Bell.
Sebastapol: Rowan Marshall*, Michael Powell*, Leeroy Sheridan (D).
Sunbury: Andrew Duhau, Nathan Wood (D).
(D) Development player * VFL-listed player.
Other top ranking inter-league games to be played on May 23 - 1 v 2: Geelong v Goulburn Valley; 3 v 4 Peninsula v Ovens and Murray; 7 v 8: Hampden v Murray; 9 v 10: Gippsland v Yarra Valley; 11 v 12: Sunraysia v Casey Cardinia.
