Vic Country: Damian Sexton preparing for 10th game as under-19 coach

DAMIAN Sexton’s extensive playing and coaching career is about to pass another milestone.

DAMIAN Sexton’s extensive playing and coaching career is about to pass another milestone.

Sexton will this weekend coach Vic Country under-19 team for a 10th time, with a 7-2 record to date against VAFA.

And choosing the final team, and breaking the bad news to those unlucky to miss out, does not get any easier.

“(On Sunday) I think there was about 44 to 46 guys who trained — I could split that group in half and there wouldn’t be much difference in the outcome if they played each other,” Sexton said.

Nine leagues are represented in the selected team, and three football clubs have two representatives apiece.

Edithvale-Aspendale’s Nick Carlon will captain of the Vic Country youngsters, who are going for a fifth win in a row against VAFA in the annual clash.

“They’re usually pretty strong,” Sexton said of the VAFA opposition.

“I try to emphasise the country attitude … these boys have made a commitment over and above whatever the VAFA team would do to get to training. Some of them travel four or five hours.

“That to me says if they’re going to make that commitment, when a game is on the line there’s a fair chance they will want it, be a bit more desperate.

“Both sides can play footy … you’ve got to extract that ingredient of doing more for the team than they do.”

Then there are the opportunities these games can provide for players — many have gone on to play VFL and some, like Fremantle’s Matt Taberner, have made the AFL.

Sexton was a premiership player with Finley in the Murray league and Yarrawonga in the Ovens and Murray league, both clubs he would later coach.

He also currently coaches Yarrawonga.