Ballarat and Hampden unveils teams for interleague contest

Ballarat and Hampden will take on each other for the first time in an interleague match since the Covid pandemic. Find out who has been named.

An ex-AFL player and Ballarat’s leading goalscorer this season headline Ballarat’s team to take on Hampden this Saturday at Mars Stadium.

Ballarat’s interleague team, coached by AFL legend Anthony Koutoufides, has been named for the clash with Hampden, the first match for the team since 2019.

The Covid pandemic has seen the past few years of interleague scrapped with this year’s edition taking part after both leagues came together to organise it.

The match will feature the best under-23 players in each league.

Ballarat has named a 28-man squad to take on Hampden but it will be reduced to 22 on Friday night with two emergencies to be added in case something happens on the day.

The team is waiting to see what will happen with their VFL listed players selected for the clash and whether they play for their VFL clubs this weekend.

If they get picked, they won’t be playing for Ballarat.

This includes Mace Cousins (Geelong), leading Ballarat goalscorer Jamie Quick (Geelong) and Kyle Borg (Port Melbourne).

Cousins, who has been selected already for Geelong to take on Sydney on Friday, won’t play.

The rest of the team is littered with talent from all 11 clubs with Sunbury having the most players picked with six.

This includes former Essendon player Cody Brand.

Last year’s premiers Melton has three players selected including Borg with North Ballarat having four, including Quick and Riley Polkinghorne, who has been one of the best players in the competition.

Port Melbourne’s Kyle Borg will play for Ballarat this weekend. Photo by Daniel Pockett/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

The team is sure to provide a stern test to Hampden.

For Hampden, the team has named a 27-man squad which has been trimmed to 22 for the clash after training on Thursday night.

The team has all the Hampden teams represented with Koroit leading the way with five players picked.

Paddy O’Sullivan, Mac Petersen and Tom Baulch each played in the Saints premiership last year.

The team also features three players from North Warrnambool including 2021 Hampden best and fairest winner Jett Birmingham.

All other sides in Hampden, minus Portland, have at least two players picked.

See the teams below.

BALLARAT

Jack Parente (Bacchus Marsh), Will Liston (Ballarat), Angus Bade (Ballarat), Mace Cousins (Darley), Liam Howard (East Point), Liam Canny (East Point), Flynn Loader (Lake Wendouree), Kyle Borg (Melton), Conrad Farrugia (Melton), Harrison Hanley (Melton), Cody Chapman (Melton South), Mitch Fino (Melton South), Jack Riding (North Ballarat), Riley Polkinghorne (North Ballarat), Josh Sparkman (North Ballarat), Jamie Quick (North Ballarat), Izaac Grant (Redan), Nick Cushing (Redan), Harry Lawson (Redan), Jack Bambury (Sebastopol), Jed Hill (Sebastopol), Riley Miller (Sunbury), Cody Brand (Sunbury), Jake Egan (Sunbury), Jake Sutton (Sunbury), Harri Minton-Connell (Sunbury), Joel Muir (Sunbury).

HAMPDEN

Paddy O‘Sullivan (Koroit), Zach Sinnott (Camperdown), Ryley Hutchins (Terang Mortlake), Mac Petersen (Koroit), Will White (South Warrnambool), Jett Hopper (Port Fairy), Tom Baulch (Koroit), Bailey Jenkinson (North Warrnambool), Harry Ryan (Warrnambool), Ollie Bridgewater (South Warrnambool), Isaac Thomas (South Warrnambool), Mitch Bidmade (Warrnambool), Rhys Buck (Terang Mortlake), Liam Bidmade (Warrnambool), Clem Nagorcka (Koroit), Toby Jennings (Portland), Hamish Sinnott (Camperdown), Rory Gill (Hamilton Kangaroos), Sydney Bradshaw (Camperdown), Jordy Fowler (Cobden), Jett Bermingham (North Warrnambool), Oscar Pollock (Port Fairy), Jackson Grundy (North Warrnambool), Hamish Cook (Hamilton Kangaroos), Mark Marriott (Cobden), Jack Block (Koroit)