Geelong premiership player Trent West joins Terang-Mortlake
A Hampden league finals contender has named a AFL premiership ruckman for an important clash on Saturday. See other selection moves around the state.
Terang-Mortlake has named mid-season recruit Trent West for its clash against Hampden league ladder leader North Warrnambool on Saturday.
The Geelong 2011 premiership ruckman last played at senior level when he was part of Leopold’s winning grand final team against South Barwon in the Geelong league two years ago.
The 37-year-old played 70 AFL matches for Geelong and Brisbane and was a Lions teammate of Terang-Mortlake coach and former AFL Rising Star winner Lewis Taylor.
West will come up against another AFL premiership ruckman Nathan Vardy, who is in his second season as coach of North Warrnambool.
Terang-Mortlake is sitting fifth on the ladder, one match clear of Koroit, which plays Warrnambool in a night match at home.
Warrnambool has overcome the long-term absence of former North Melbourne player Ben Cunnington to rise to fourth place on the ladder.
Warrnambool is a game behind third-placed Portland which faces another tough test against reigning premiers South Warrnambool.
Another former Geelong premiership player, Gary Rohan, returns from injury for Port Fairy which has lost touch with the top five before the halfway mark of the season.
GOULBURN VALLEY
Kyabram star Mick Mattingly has been forced back onto the sidelines with a “minor” hamstring injury that could keep him out for up to matches.
The 2019 Morrison Medal winner in Kyabram’s most recent premiership season is the early favourite for this year’s award after dominating the early rounds.
Mattingly returned from SANFL West Adelaide, but was grounded with a back injury.
“He had to get surgery last year, but this is just at the minor end luckily,” Kyabram co-coach Corey Carver said.
“He’d been in great form, but it’s nothing like last year.
“He will be a week or two.”
Kyabram is on top of the GV ladder 7-0 with reigning premier Echuca among its recent scalps.
As expected, Benalla key forward Nathan Wright won’t play against Mansfield after hurting his hamstring representing the GV against Ovens & Murray last Saturday.
Wright’s presence up forward will be sorely missed after booting eight goals in a recent match against top-six contender Rochester.
Echuca key forward Hugh Byrne will sit out the Murray Bombers’ clash against Shepparton Swans.
He suffered a shoulder injury a fortnight ago that ruled out him out of the interleague match.
But in a boost for Echuca, onballer Sam Reid has been selected for the clash against the Swans who are 7-0 ahead of a tough stretch of matches against other finals aspirants, the Murray Bombers, Mansfield, Kyabram and Shepparton.
GIPPSLAND
Former Sydney draftee Cooper Vickery will play his first match for Bairnsdale since 2022 when he lines up against Sale.
The Victorian Country under-18s representative was drafted by the Swans at the end of 2022 when he played two senior matches for Bairnsdale.
Following his delisting by the Swans at the end of last season, Vickery joined Carlton’s VFL team which has the bye this weekend.
Bairnsdale has to beat ninth-placed Sale to stay in touch in the race for fifth spot on the ladder.
Moe coach Leigh Poholke returns for his first match for the Lions against Morwell since booting five goals against Bairnsdale in round 1.
The rich history behind Ballarat league rivalry
Two Ballarat league clubs will go head-to-head for the 200th time in their histories this weekend. Take a look back at the history between the pair and some of the greatest players.
Inside Clarko’s Kaniva homecoming, 40 years on
Alastair Clarkson will return to his hometown to celebrate a moment which provided the launching pad for his career. Here’s how he will be involved.