By KRISTEN ALEBAKIS
NINE of the Western Region Football League’s best players have been named in the Vic Metro’s initial 47-man squad, which will go head-to-head with Victoria Country next month.
Deer Park duo Jase Perkins and Tim Quick have been picked alongside Albion’s Josh Bench, Sunshine’s Daniel Castellano, Wyndhamvale’s Brian Graham and Hoppers Crossing young gun Braden Ferrari.
WRFL Senior Interleague captain and Spotswood star Murray Boyd, and Barry Priest medal winners from St Albans and Werribee Districts, Tim Jenkins and Matt Dean were also picked.
Their selection comes off the back of their impressive performance in the WRFL’s thrilling three-point win against country rivals Ballarat at Whitten Oval last month.
Dean, was one of a host of players to standout during the Community Championships, he claimed the WRFL’s best on ground medal for his efforts on the day.
The 47-man Vic Metro squad includes players from across metropolitan Melbourne, with the Eastern Football League leading the way with 12 players named.
The WRFL, Essendon District Football League and Northern Football League each have nine representatives, while the Southern Football League has eight.
The Vic Metro side will be coached by Footscray Hall of Fame inductee Brian Royal.
The WRFL’s Brett Jacobs will again be involved with the team in 2016, he will be an assistant coach.
He was a part of Vic Metro big 84-point win against AFL Queensland last year.
“I had a great experience last year,” Jacobs said.
“I was working with some sensational coaches, none better than Brian Royal, who will coach the team this year.
“He has been involved at the elite level of football for a long time.
“Also to work alongside guys like Jason Heatley and Sean Millane, who are quality coaches and quality people, is great.”
Jacobs said it was great to see so many players from the west get picked in the squad.
“All the boys who played in the Vic Metro team last year, played really well and the same goes for the previous year,” he said.
“The WRFL has always been well represented and hopefully a high number of the selected players make the final cut and play.”
Jacobs said the side will now take part in a four week training program to prepare for the match, with the final team of 23 to be named in the days leading up to the match.
The Vic Metro versus Victoria Country match will be played on July 10. The venue will be announced in coming weeks.
Vic Metro Squad:
EDFL: Fortunato Caruso, Joshua Toy, Adam Iacobucci, Dean Galea, David Gourdis, Danko Bzenic, Roberto Castello, Daniel Campisano, Stephen Brewer.
EFL: Joel Perry, Rennie Gilchrist, Thomas Roach, Jackson Weatherald, Ben Giobbi, Cameron Manuel, Shane Davidson, Luke Williams, Dean Poynton, John Meesen, Matthew Aver, Stuart Hill.
NFL: Rhett Jordan, Cam Elmore, Matthew Dennis, Jesse Donaldson, Ben Fennell, Wayne Schultz, Dan McLinden, Jarrod Hodgkin, Justin White.
SFL: Andrew Frost, Brody Hodic, Patrick Carroll, Chris Horton-Milne, Geoff Humphreys, Matt Troutbeck, Nathan Robinson, Jarryd Allan.
WRFL: Joshua Bench, Tim Jenkins, Matt Dean, Murray Boyd, Daniel Castellano, Brian Graham, Tim Quick, Braden Ferrari, Jase Perkins.
Last Modified on 07/06/2016 11:42