THE NORTHERN Football League has nine representatives selected in the Victoria Metro preliminary squad ahead of the AFL Victoria Community Cup.
The Metro squad will face a representative side from WorkSafe AFL Victoria Country on Saturday, July 12 at a destination to be finalised in the coming days.
The selection panel of head coach Brian Royal, and assistants Scott West, Michael Ford, Sean Millane and Steve Teakel have settled on the 43-man squad that includes players from all six leagues that competed in the Metro Championships on March 28.
The nine NFL selected players are:
Trent Barbero (Bundoora), Nick Carter (Northcote Park), Cameron Cloke (Bundoora), Matthew Dennis (Bundoora), Jesse Donaldson (Montmorency), Ricky Dyson (Bundoora), Patrick Fitzgerald (Montmorency), Patrick Flynn (Lower Plenty), Ryan Jackson (Montmorency).
The squad will eventually be trimmed to approximately 25 with the selection panel acknowledging some players will be unavailable or injured.
Players will be contacted in the coming days and given information on training dates, times and venues ahead of the July 12 encounter.
The Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) leads the way with 11 players chosen in the initial line-up, followed by Eastern FL with nine and Northern FL (eight).
The selected NFL players were rewarded for their performance in the league’s commanding 37-point victory over the EDFL at Visy Park.
The 13.9 (87) to 7.8 (50) win means the NFL will next year take on the Victorian Amateur Football League (VAFA) in the top-billed clash, where the winner will be crowned the No.1 metropolitan football league in Victoria.
Below is the 43-man preliminary Victoria Metro squad:
Eastern FL: Joel Perry (East Ringwood), Luke Barker (Balwyn), Ryan Mullett (Vermont), Simon Taylor (Vermont), Leigh Williams (Norwood), Tom Schneider (Vermont), Rhett Jordan (Norwood), Shane Tregear (Balwyn), Justin Van Unen (Vermont)
Essendon DFL: Sam Boyd (Airport West), Dean Galea (Avondale Heights), Patrick Rose (Avondale Heights), Nat Caruso (Northern Saints), Fort Caruso (Northern Saints), Andrew Browne (Keilor), Jonathon Morris (Essendon Doutta Stars)
NORTHERN FL: Trent Barbero (Bundoora), Nick Carter (Northcote Park), Cameron Cloke (Bundoora), Matthew Dennis (Bundoora), Jesse Donaldson (Montmorency), Ricky Dyson (Bundoora), Patrick Fitzgerald (Montmorency), Patrick Flynn (Lower Plenty), Ryan Jackson (Montmorency)
Southern FL: Luke Crozier (Bentleigh), Damien Rayson (East Brighton), Luke James (St. Pauls)
VAFA: Will Tardiff (Collegians), Tom Caven (St. Bernards), Brendan Goss (Old Xaverians), Jack Bull (Old Scotch), Joel Rice (Old Carey), Tom Roach (Old Carey), Lachie McQueen-Miscamble (Old Carey), Simon Hogan (University Blacks), Murphy Ambrose (Old Xaverians), Chris Waller (Old Xaverians), Tom Paule (Old Melburnians)
Western FL: Lee Spiteri (Altona), Jason Cloke (Spotswood), Torren Bonnett (Port Melbourne Colts), Brad Sutcliffe (Port Melbourne Colts), Tim Jenkins (St. Albans)
