Canberran footballer in rep team for Sydney clashBELCONNEN Magpies midfielder John Love (pictured) will be in the thick of the action in a building interstate rivalry this weekend when AFL Canberra's finest lines up against AFL Sydney's best at Blacktown Oval on Saturday.
The biennial interstate series, which the Canberra league holds a 2-0 record, will also be the first senior football match at the AFL's newest venue. (The AFL's under-16s national championships were played at the ground two weeks ago.) The oval, in the western Sydney suburb of Blacktown, is to become home for the league's proposed 18th team.
The Canberra team was finalised on Monday night and Love was rewarded with selection for his consistency in the middle for Belconnen. The Magpies are the form side of the six-team competition, having lost just two games in 15 rounds. The club has provided the representative team with six players, an equal amount with second-placed Eastlake.
The solidly built midfielder Love can switch seamlessly from an on-ball role to defence and is described by his coach as 'very strong over the ball, sets up well when playing down back and has good vision when playing in the midfield'. He said the Canberrans won't be taking the Sydney team lightly. The last time they played was at Manuka Oval in Canberra in 2007, where the home side won by 14 points. The first match in 2005 saw the Canberra team win by 50 points at the SCG.
"I guess it's because of my consistent form," Love, originally from Albury/Wodonga, said of his selection. "I was a backman for most of my senior career but recently shifted to a midfield role. We're expecting a tough game (on Saturday). They do have good players so we're expecting fast and high quality match."
In addition to its 2-0 record over AFL Sydney, the ACT holds a 4-1 win-loss record over NSW at the Australian Country Football Championships since 2000, the sole blemish coming in 2002 when NSW won by two points.
Love is one of a handful of Koori men in the AFL Canberra competition. He has cemented himself in the Magpies' senior line-up and is part of the team's leadership group.
"We have a captain, a vice-captain and three other leaders; I'm one of those three leaders," Love said. "Part of the role is to provide feedback to players and show the playing group what's required of them. You have to lead hard, train hard and play hard."
Love, 24, will need to be at his leadership best come Saturday because the AFL Canberra side is the youngest yet. The team has 14 rep debutants, with the youngest team member just 16-years-old and almost half the team is 22 years or younger.
Outside football for Love, there's more football. He is the NSW/ACT-AFL's regional manager for ACT and the (NSW) South Coast, a role he cherishes.
"I love it," he said. "Delivering our code to kids, growing the game and seeing it all on the weekend after all that hard work is rewarding."
The AFL Canberra-AFL Sydney match at Blacktown starts at 1pm and will be bookended by two under-18s representative matches (10.30am and 4pm). The senior sides will play for the Rod Carter-Alex Jesaulenko Shield in recognition of the Swans and Carlton greats' contribution to football in the NSW and the ACT.
DARREN MONCRIEFF
Darren@AboriginalFootball.com.au
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Last Modified on 23/07/2009 22:42