Victorian Amateur Football Association sets itself for Vic Country’s interleague challenge

There’s something special about watching the Big White V running around a footy field. VAFA rep coach Stuart Powell hopes that will continue against Vic Country.

Stuart Powell and George Burbury with the Brian Moloney Cup after the VAFA’s big win over Vic Country at Frankston.

The Big White V will take to the field once again when the Victorian Amateur Football Association rep side takes on AFL Victoria Country for the Brian Moloney Cup at Carlton’s Princes Park on Saturday, July 13.

And, despite limited time get his squad together, experienced interleague coach Stuart Powell is confident of another good showing.

“We look to be shaping up pretty well,” he said. “We’ve got a squad of about 40 and there’s 13 of the guys who played last year.

“It’s providing an opportunity for (new) players and just freshens things up a bit.

“Again, we’ve had really good buy-in from the players and the clubs.

“I think we’re a close community in the VAFA, there’s a lot of close contact between the players.”

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VAFA rep coach Stuart Powell calling the shoots

The squad has been drawn from the Premier and Premier B ranks with St Kevin’s having seven players named while University Blues, Old Brighton and Old Melburnians each have five representatives.

While any combination of 22 in the current 40-odd squad will make a more-than-handy line-up, Powell is blessed with a number of players with AFL experience who’ve put their hand up to play including St Kevin’s forward Jarrad Waite (244 games with Carlton and North Melbourne) and the Uni Blues pair of Cam O’Shea (92 games with Port Adelaide and Carlton) and Josh Green (105 games with Brisbane and Essendon).

St Kevin’s Jarrad Waite has been named in the initial squad

The VAFA will bring an imposing interleague record to Princes Park on July 13.

Last season it scored a 50-point win over the Adelaide Football League at the Thebarton Oval in Adelaide while it last played Vic Country at a windswept Frankston Oval in 2017 and won by 82 points.

Powell, however, was in no doubt Vic Country would be out for revenge.

“I think it’s going to be a ripping contest,” he said. “It will be a really high standard game.

“It’s a big chance (for the VAFA players) to test themselves.”

The Victorian Amateur Football Association will play AFL Victoria Country at Princes Park (Carlton) on Saturday, July 13.

VAFA TRAINING SQUAD

Collegians: Sam Hibbins, Corey Cassidy, Viv Michie, Ben Darrou

De La Salle: Hugh Nicholson, Tom Humphrey, Jake Williams, Antony Forato

Old Brighton: Harry Hill, Elliot Le Grice, Nick Pavlou, Tom Fisher, Will Lewis

Old Carey: Sam Crocker, Marc Lock, Sam Cust, Henry Schade

Old Melburnians: Tom Paule, Gus Borthwick, Josh Freezer, Andrew Tashevski-Beckwith, Tom Cameron

Old Scotch: Charlie Cormack

Old Trinity: Gabe Hamilton, Harry Thompson, Austin Hodge

Old Xaverians: Jason Holmes, Jordan Kelly, Chris Margin, Tom Gilbert

St Bernard’s: Connor Riley, Michael Caven

St Kevin’s OB: Gerard Gleeson, Nick Wood, Sam Critchley, Will Coates, Jarrad Waite, Conor Ross, Mitch Brown

University Blacks: Tom Swift

University Blues: Tom Quinn, Josh Green, Cam O’Shea, Connor Lappin, Marshall Rippon

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