Southern Riverina players and clubs were front and centre in several junior representative football teams for the Murray League and the Picola League at the weekend.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
League wide byes for both the competitions allowed for the special program to go ahead.
Murray League
In the Murray Football Netball League, the Finley Cats had several players selected.
The junior football interleague matches were played in Wangaratta, against Wangaratta and District Junior Football League teams, last Sunday.
The carnival teams included under-13s, under-14s, under-15s and under-16s representative football squads.
After a series of scheduled training trials, the squads were reduced to final teams for this Sunday, with some players getting the training experience but unfortunately missing out.
Playing in the under-14s were four Finley players - Samuel Hay, Jed Flanagan, Orlando Orsida and Noah Brindley.
Other squad members were: Vincent Grasso, Ashtyn Speechly, Jack Watson, Eroni Naiyaga, Derek Muckenthaler (Cobram), Jonathon Moorse, Jaxon Rothe, Rocky Sztejman, Lachlan Tritton (Deniliquin), Ryan Strahan, Bobby Elliott, Oliver Phyland (Echuca United), Max Johns (Moama), Finn Mitchell, Nash Cook (Mulwala) Lucas Barton, Paulie Sherer-Richards, Charlie McDonald (Nathalia).
The youngest group of players getting experience at the interleague level are the under-13s, with three from Finley selected - Lachlan Urquhart, Levi Jakeman and Flynn Rourke.
Other squad members selected were: Alec Corso, Joseph Raco, Nate Rodda (Cobram), Brady Hodgetts (Congupna), William Crossley, Charlie Murray, James O’Connor, Henry Pisasale (Deniliquin), Chaz Shiels, Jarel Atkinson-Combe (Echuca United), Ben Ferguson, Benji Watson, Jayden Stephens, Raffa Leary (Mulwala), James Ryan, Archie Vallender (Nathalia), Axel Ramadge (Numurkah), Watson Briggs-Clarke, Elijah Atkinson (Rumbalara), Kane Pyke, Lucas Pyke (Tongala).
Results from the games were as follows:
Under-13s
Final score: Murray 4.11 (35) def Wang DJFL 3.5 (23).
Goals: Alec Corso 2, Nate Rodda, Joseph Raco.
Best on Ground: Henry Pisasale.
Under-14s
Final score: Murray 6.4 (40) def Wang DJFL 4.6 (30).
Goals: Paulie Sherer-Richards 2, Lachlan Tritton, Lucas Barton, Derek Muckenthaler, Ryan Strahan.
Best on Ground: Rocky Sztejman.
Under-15s
Final score: Murray 2.1 (13) def by Wang DJFL 17.17 (119).
Goals: Ned Saunders, Thomas Cooke.
Best on Ground: Caleb Russell.
Under-16s
Final score: Murray 4.5 (29) def by Wang DFL 15.7 (97).
Goals: Cruz Kreymborg 2, Hugo Monnich Vo, Toby Phyland.
Best on Ground: Sol Frost.
Picola League
Junior footballers from across the Picola League district converged at Tocumwal last Friday evening for the annual intraleague matches.
Due to team numbers across the under-14s and under-17s competitions, two representative squads were filled for each age group.
This year separated geographically between NSW and Victoria the NSW teams selected from players out of the Barooga, Blighty, Tocumwal, Berrigan, Jerilderie, Mathoura, Rennie and Deni Rovers clubs.
Victoria’s sides were made up using players from clubs in Dookie, Strathmerton, Picola United, Katandra, Katunga, Katamatite, Tungamah and Waaia.
Blighty had representatives selected in both age groups - Daniel Burn and Degan Morgan in the under-14s and Sam Conallin and Xander Strong in the under-17s.
Hosts Tocumwal had several players in the under-14s, including Ollie East, Lucas Grieves, Angus Kruizinga and Charlie Wilson .
Lining up for the under-17s from the Bloods were Phoenix Valente and Harrison Wilson.
From Jerilderie in the under-17s were James Winn, Evan Lawton and Logan Eldridge, while Berrigan were represented in the under-17s by Jack Magill.
Other players in each NSW squad were as follows:
Under-14s: NSW - Alby Brooks, Patrick Berry, Mack Holt, Wyatt Twite, Harvey Boake (Barooga), Harry Giblett, Finley Strawhorn, Judd Long, Brax Ednie, Riley Wallace, Mason Santoro (Rennie), Samuel Strong, Michael Benger, Angus Knuckey, Carter Sartore, Taj McCully (Deni Rovers).
Under-17s: NSW - Finn Bruce, Jackson Wheeler, Blake Carey (Rennie), Archer Moodie, Noah Dunn, Isaac Beshman, Stuart Benger, Liam Taylor, Haydn Sampson, Thomas Ives, Fletcher Campion, Lincoln MeHarry, Charlie Rennie, Dannon Leetham (Deni Rovers).
Game results were not available at the time of going to print.