AFL Victoria Community Championships: Southern Football Netball League names large squad for rep game

The Southern Football Netball League has named a 71-man training squad as it counts down to its AFL Victoria Community Championships clash with the North Central Football League later this month.

Southern celebrates after its interleague win last season

The Southern Football Netball League has named a 71-man training squad as it counts down to its AFL Victoria Community Championships clash with the North Central Football League later this month.

SFNL interleague coach Ben Lockwood said there had been a number of reasons for naming the extended short list including exposing a greater number of players to the interleague process, sharing the selection burden between clubs and coping with the injuries that are invariably sustained at club level in the lead up.

MORE: The Southern Football Netball League senior football squad

“It’s a fairly big squad but you lose guys by attrition,” Lockwood said. “We’ve lost about five guys already.

“We lost a few of the guys from last year who put their hands up and said ‘that might be it for us’. We’ll have about 15 new faces.

“Last year, to be honest, we almost ran out of players. We lost players right up to the day of the game.”

Southern interleague coach Ben Lockwood Picture: Mark Dadswell

Representatives from the top five clubs in Division 1 — Dingley, Mordialloc, Bentleigh, St Pauls and East Malvern — make up more than half the squad, the Panthers leading the way with nine players selected.

Lockwood said sharing the load between all the league’s clubs, rather than just Dingley, Mordialloc and Bentleigh, had “always been in the back of our (selectors) minds”.

After relinquishing the coaching reins at East Malvern this season, Lockwood said he had been better able to cast his eyes over the league’s talent pool.

“I’ve been able to get out and watch a few games this year,” he said.

“I’ve absolutely enjoyed it, hearing the crowd banter and having a giggle. Just watching players kicking the footy.

“When you’re coaching you’re always trying to work out their weaknesses.

“Just to be able to admire them as players (has been enjoyable).”

After demolishing Ellinbank in 2016, Southern edged Central Highlands by four points on the wide open spaces of Marriott Waters Reserve in Lyndhurst last year to sit 22nd on the AFL Victoria rankings.

Southern will travel to Boort on Saturday, May 19 for its clash with No.23 ranked North Central Football League.

“We’ve got a bit of intel (on the opposition) this year,” Lockwood said. “There’s some big names in the comp but it depends on whether they play of course.”

Squads for the under-19 football and senior netball teams will be released shortly.