LEXTON Plains Football League has settled on a balanced line-up for its clash with the Maryborough Castlemaine District at the Eastern Oval in Ballarat tomorrow.
Coach Wayne Driscoll last night named a team which he believes will be well suited to what are expected to be wet conditions.
"When wet conditions turn up, you like blokes who are strong over the ball," he said after a spritely training session at Smythesdale .
The Lexton Plains midfield looks a definite strength of the team, with Lexton coach Eamon Johnson being given first crack in the pivotal position.
However, plenty of players in the team can be swung into the midfield, with the likes of Steven Tung, Nick Murphy and Brent Mortlock sitting on interchange ready for an opportunity.
Fourteen players are new to inter-league football with the RegionalOne LPFL.
Denis Biscan, Toby Boyle, James Watts, Ben Scott and Joel Riske are in their first year in the competitionn and will all play major parts in the match.
But it is not just the new faces which will be in the contest.
Kiernan Molloy and his Skipton teammate Tim McKay have played numerous inter-league games and their experience at this level will be invaluable to the newcomers.
Every club is represented, with Skipton having the most players.
The Emus have eight members of the team, with four of the back six.
Cam Brown has been named at full back and he is one strong body that Driscoll was referring to.
The half back line has speedy players, with Skipton teammates Graeme Lench and Toby Boyle to use their run off the line to push the ball deep into the attacking area.
Waiting up forward will be co-captain Kiernan Molloy, while his counterpart Jason Hill likes a goal as well.
Matt Stasse is the best ruckman in the LPFL, and his mobility is something to be seen.
Add Robbie Greenbank and Jamie Elder, and Lexton Plains has a plethora of attacking options.
But two players missing are Sam Robertson (foot) and Tom Mullane-Grant (VCFL district representative team), who would have both been walk up starts if available.
Driscoll thinks 10 or 11 goals might be enough to win the game, and he has planned and trained to win.
"If we play to our strengths, the scoreboard will look after itself," he said.
THE LPFL under-19 team abounds in senior experience.
Of the 24 players named, 22 have played senior games this year, with 11 having played in all seven games to date.
The most decorated is Illabarook's Beau Ketchen, who has played 41 senior games in the past three seasons.
Navarre's Rhett Murphy has been given the responsibility in the ruck, hopefully giving his running midfield first use of the ball.
Waiting up forward are Illabarook's Jake Cahill and Andrew Robertson (Skipton).
Coach Tony Boyer is happy with the team.
"(The team) is a very quick and even team.
"It is the best of the best of under-19 players. We've got some quick players and some able to take strong marks, so we've got a good mix," he said.
Photo from Ballarat Courier: FOCUSED ON THE JOB: Lexton Plains coach Wayne Driscoll addresses his players at their final training run at Smythesdale last night