The Northern Football Netball League has named its senior men’s football team to take on Geelong Football Netball League for the No.1 ranking spot in the Worksafe AFL Victoria Community Championships.
The two top-ranked sides meet for the No.1 spot this Saturday May 18 at Queens Park Highton from 2:15pm.
The NFNL has confirmed its 23-man team to take on the GFNL.
The team includes 14 players that featured in last year’s 40-point win over Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football Netball League at Preston City Oval.
Seven players will represent the NFNL at senior level for the first time, including Matthew Cecchin, Jack Furlong, Jack Langford, Dale Marshall, Nick Matthews, Chaz Sargeant and Jesse Tardio.
Three-time Frank Rosbrook medallist Matthew Dennis returns to the team after missing the 2018 representative campaign through injury, along with Montmorency midfielder Stephen McCallum – who was best afield in the 2017 win over Western Region Football League.
NFNL representative coach Garry Ramsay said he was pleased with the side that had been assembled for the No.1 playoff.
“Everyone who has played the last two years was invited and had the opportunity to play,” Ramsay told NFNL.org.au.
“We had a few injuries with that group, so we were than able to add and we added what we needed and in the end we’re really comfortable with the squad we’ve got.
“It’s a strong as we can put on the field from all the available people.
“I think it’s a really even squad. We’re not relying on anyone being best on or kicking seven goals. I think it will be an even spread.”
Ramsay anticipated a big crowd in attendance for Saturday’s game and hoped the playing group embraced the opportunity before them.
“I see representative football as an opportunity for players to show their individual strengths,” he said.
“There are some real loyal players… that for no fault of their own haven’t been able to play finals or win premierships with their local clubs.
“This is a great opportunity to play a high level.
“This might even be the biggest crowd that a lot of these fellas have played in front of and maybe the best level they’ve ever played.”
Having guided the NFNL from the No.5 ranking to the top-billed game in the space of the past two years, Ramsay said it would be a special achievement to claim the No.1 spot this weekend.
“Being involved in the league for such a long time, it would be nice to say looking back that at some stage we were number one,” he said.
“For such a great league, I think that would be a really good achievement.”
Continue below to see the NFNL’s senior men’s representative team to take on the GFNL:
| NAME | SURNAME | CLUB |
|---|---|---|
| Jhye | Baddeley-Kelly | North Heidelberg |
| Brandon | Bailey | North Heidelberg |
| Tom | Blake | Lower Plenty |
| Matthew | Cecchin | Heidelberg |
| Matthew | Dennis | Bundoora |
| Jesse | Donaldson | Montmorency |
| Lachlan | East | Hurstbridge |
| Patrick | Fitzgerald | Montmorency |
| Jack | Furlong | Hurstbridge |
| Jack | Langford | Banyule |
| Dale | Marshall | Bundoora |
| Nick | Matthews | North Heidelberg |
| Stephen | McCallum | Montmorency |
| Liam | McVeigh | West Preston-Lakeside |
| Jordan | Perry | Northcote Park |
| Nick | Riddle | Greensborough |
| Jai | Robinson | Montmorency |
| Chaz | Sargeant | Heidelberg |
| Tom | Simpson | Hurstbridge |
| Ryan | Stone | Heidelberg |
| Jesse | Tardio | North Heidelberg |
| Justin | White | Macleod |
| Anton | Woods | Eltham |
