By Russell Bennett
WEST GIPPSLAND FOOTBALL NETBALL COMPETITION
INTERLEAGUE 2018
The West Gippsland senior football interleague side has been boosted massively by the inclusion of reigning league best and fairest winner Andy Soumilas ahead of the big clash with Maryborough Castlemaine at Garfield this Saturday.
And coach Mark Lafferty couldn’t be happier to have the champion midfielder at his disposal in a side with an impressive mix of talent across all lines.
“We’re rapt that someone like Andy, in his mid-30s, has put his hand up to play because where the league sits, rankings-wise, doesn’t sit well with him,” he said.
“Even Crossy (Adam Cross) in his 30s has put his hand up, as opposed to some 18, 19, or 20-year-old kids who say they need a week off.
“You only have a certain period in your footy life to take these chances (to play in the senior interleague format), so I think that sends a really good message to the younger guys.”
Lafferty paid credit to reigning premiers Inverloch Kongwak, who – under coach Ben Soumilas, himself an assistant for the interleague clash – have put forward six of their best players to play.
Cross, like Soumilas, has been brought into the squad which also contains Shem Hawking, Corey Casey, Campbell McKenzie, and Lewis Rankin.
By contrast, only one player between league heavyweights Nar Nar Goon and Kooweerup is in the 25-man side – the in-form Todd Beck.
Lafferty said Ben Soumilas’ influence on the interleague group had been “outstanding”, adding that “he epitomises everything that’s good about (local) footy and you just want to be involved with him”.
Lafferty, the Dalyston senior coach in waiting, said his side had enough speed at its disposal, which is bound to be key on the lightning Garfield ground, but also had plenty of grunt and out-and-out skill.
Hawking has been named skipper for the side, with Phillip Island’s Zak Vernon his deputy.
“There’s been quite a bit of commentary around the competition (WGFNC) and it being the next big competition in Gippsland, but we need to prove that otherwise it’s all just talk,” Lafferty said.
“If clubs want to be part of a really good, strong competition, they need to have a look at it (the interleague concept).”
The WGFNC was soundly beaten by Riddell and District at Macedon last year and currently sits 26th on the championship rankings.
The WGFNC’s under-18 squad, coached by Cora Lynn senior player Shaun Sparks, includes: Aaron Warner and Jarred Mills from Bunyip; Jay Verhagen, Luke Hartley, Josh Arena, Brayden Weller, and Chase Blackwood from Cora Lynn; Trent McMahon, Zac Soutar, Tom Fitzpatrick, and Fletcher Rennie from Garfield; Jarvis Pryor and Kyle Valentine from Inverloch Kongwak; Mitch Leek, Mitch Cammarano and Luke Edwards from Kooweerup; Joel Anthony from Korumburra-Bena; Joel Motta and Jake Tabone from Nar Nar Goon; and Max Mattock, Brodie Anderson and Nick Anderson from Phillip Island. The emergencies include Cooper Hampton from Nar Nar Goon and Kyle Hutchinson from Inverloch Kongwak. Their clash starts at noon, while the senior game is scheduled underway from 2.30pm.
The 25-man senior interleague side, updated from last week, includes:
Bunyip
Jason Fisher
Justin McCleary
Nathan Allen
Cora Lynn
Chris Johnson
Jaxon Briggs
Rylan Smith
Dalyston
Kurt Thomas
Michael Marotta
Garfield
Daniel Johnson
Jayden Goumas
Michael Wallace
Sam Batson
Inverloch Kongwak
Adam Cross
Andy Soumilas
Campbell McKenzie
Corey Casey
Lewis Rankin
Shem Hawking (captain)
Kilcunda Bass
Jake Weightman
Korumburra-Bena
Alex Johnston
Jake McMillan
Nar Nar Goon
Todd Beck
Phillip Island
Aaron Edwards
Mark Griffin
Zak Vernon (vice captain)
The WGFNC’s interleague netball sides have also been named. Open team coach Kate Steel (from Phillip Island) will be without Korumburra-Bena star Kim Hillberg due to injury but still has a squad full of talent ready to take on Maryborough Castlemaine. In the absence of Hillberg, rising star Shae Kyle – who has just represented Victoria at the National Netball Championships in Adelaide in April – will have a key role to play as the team’s only genuine tall defender.
The WGFNC’s 17-and-under netball side has also been named, with six clubs represented in Jenny McRae’s group.
The 17-and-under game will begin at 12.30pm on Saturday, followed by the open clash from 1.45.
WGFNC Open netball team: Alana McRae and Britt Thomas (Dalyston); Renee Pilkington and Kelsey Buxton (Inverloch-Kongwak); Kate Murphy (Kooweerup); Shae Kyle (Korumburra-Bena); Janelle Smyth, Chelsea Connell, and Kate Steele (Phillip Island).
WGFNC 17-and-under netball team: Jasmin Mackie (Bunyip); Tyra Schade (Cora Lynn); Gemma Thomas, Abbey Kirk, and Grace McRae (Dalyston); Lanni Pryor and Millie Sadler (Inverloch-Kongwak); Jaymee Eastwood and Natasha Bindley (Kooweerup). Emergencies: Darci Holmes and Abbey Woollard (Koumburra-Bena).
