RDFL interleague coach Arron Bray targeting climb up AFL Victoria Community Championships rankings
COACH Arron Bray says being ranked in the mid-teens would be a better reflection of the Riddell District Football League’s standing in Victoria.
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COACH Arron Bray says being ranked in the mid-teens would be a better reflection of the Riddell District Football League’s standing in Victoria.
The RDFL will enter this year’s AFL Victoria Community Championships ranked 23rd as it prepares to meet the Central Highlands league on Saturday.
Bray, who steered the RDFL to a commanding win over the West Gippsland league in last year’s state carnival, said his league’s ranking did not indicate the level of talent in the competition.
“Because of the win we had, I think we were one of the biggest jumps in the state up the rankings,” Bray said.
“If we could get all our top-liners to fully commit and stay injury free, I think we should really be probably sitting up around the 15-16 mark.”
Bray said he hoped 10-12 players from the team which triumphed by 52 points last year would be part of the side which travels to Buninyong on Saturday.
He is also keen to blood several rising stars from the league and expose them to representative football.
“They are pretty keen to get involved in this sort of stuff whereas the older guys might want a week off,” he said.
“When you have got the kids, they bring that air of invincibility about them and they just want to go out there and just play their natural game of footy, which I encourage anyway.”
Bray said there had been a “pretty positive” attitude from those chosen in the initial squad, with included 21 players from grand finalists Rupertswood and Macedon.
The RDFL expects the Central Highlands league, which takes in clubs such as Beaufort, Hepburn, Learmonth and Newlyn, to be a tough opponent.
“If they can get up their best, they are going to put up a pretty strong show,” Bray said.
“It’s going to be a pretty even contest.”
The CHFL lost by four points to the 21st-ranked Southern Football League in last year’s championships.
The RDFL’s final squad for Saturday’s match will be confirmed this week.
The interleague fixture starts at 2.15pm at Buninyong Oval.
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