WHILE there was a standalone game last week which saw South Australia triumph over Western Australia, the official Round 1 clashes of the National Under 18 Championships begin this weekend, with the Allies taking on Vic Country, and Western Australia hosting Vic Metro.

Allies vs. Vic Country

Saturday, June 9, 10.30am
Blacktown International Sportspark, Blacktown

While illness has struck down Allies key forward Nick Blakey, the side heads into the opening round close to full strength. The midfield of Tarryn Thomas, Chayce Jones and Thomas Green, assisted by Fraser Turner and Matthew Green on the wings means the top five midfielders are all in their preferred positions. Bailey Scott is at half-forward with small forward Blair Rubock roving to Jacob Koschitzke – who will play against a number of Murray Bushrangers teammates – and Connor McFadyen who kicked four goals in the Allies trial against Vic Metro. Caleb Graham holds down the fort at full-back with Keidean Coleman to provide speed out of defence, while Ethan Jackson and Michael Mummery have also been named in the 23.

For Vic Country, Sam Walsh, Xavier Duursma, Mitch Riordan, Sam Fletcher, Jye Caldwell and Zac Foot are set to tackle the strong Allies midfield, with Zane Barzen, Ned McHenry and Oscar Brownless rotating through the area. TAC Cup leading goalkicker Hudson Garoni has been named at full-forward, while in-form key defenders Kyle Reid and Dane Hollenkamp have made the team. It is a Gippsland Power and Murray Bushrangers feel in defence, with five of the six players from those two teams. Bailey Williams will start in the ruck and rotate with Stingrays teammate Bailey Schmidt, to tackle Allies big man Kieren Briggs. AFL Academy tall Riley Bowman has been rested and is named as an emergency, along with Stingrays teammate Jai Taylor.

Allies:

B: 25. Ryan Gilmore – 44. Caleb Graham – 11. Keidean Coleman
HB: 8. Baxter Norton – 48. Dirk Koenen – 18. Lachlan McDonald
C: 20. Fraser Turner – 10. Chayce Jones – 28. Matthew Green
HF: 19. Bailey Scott – 31. Connor McFadyen – 12. Mitchell O’Neill
F: 16. James Peatling – 37. Jacob Koschitzke – 9. Blair Rubock
R: 40. Kieren Briggs – 26. Thomas Green – 46. Tarryn Thomas
INT: 36. Matthew McGuiness – 47. Nicholas Baker – 13. Ethan Jackson – 45. Jack Tomkinson – 23. Michael Mummery
EMG: 35. Joshua Rayner – 7. Jesse Quint

Vic Country:

B: 31. Brock Smith – 37. Dane Hollenkamp – 26. Matthew McGannon
HB: 15. Lachlan Ash – 25. Kyle Reid – 6. Laitham Vandermeer
C: 10. Zac Foot – 19. Sam Fletcher – 27. Zane Barzen
HF: 30. Oscar Brownless – 14. Sam Flanders – 3. Toby Bedford
F: 8. Ned McHenry – 35. Hudson Garoni – 13. Thomas Berry
R: 29. Bailey Williams – 4. Jye Caldwell – 2. Sam Walsh
INT: 39. Connor Idun – 5. Xavier Duursma – 18. Mitch Riordan – 12. Caleb Serong – 28. Bailey Schmidt
EMG: 7. Jai Taylor – 36. Riley Bowman

WESTERN AUSTRALIA VS. VIC METRO

Sunday June 10, 1.30pm
Optus Stadium, Perth

In the other National Under 18 Championships match, Western Australia will look to bounce back from its disappointing start to the carnival by knocking off Vic Metro. For the visitors, they will be keen to pile on more pain for the Black Swans, who lost to South Australia by 89 points last weekend. Western Australia has thrown around the magnets making a massive eight changes to its final side, including some huge inclusions. The classy Sydney Stack returns to the fold after missing last week, joined in the team by small forward Jarrod Fazioli, and in-form overager Luke Foley who has been a big ball winner at WAFL Colts level. Among the other changes, Ethan Hansen, Riley Garcia, Tyson Powell, Jarrod Cameron and Brad Oldfield come in, with Fremantle Next Generation Academy member Jason Carter the biggest name to be omitted from the side for this match.

For Vic Metro, they bring an Oakleigh-leaning side into the clash with a whopping five of the six defenders coming from the Chargers. Most remarkably, forward Ben Silvagni has been thrown into full-back, with slightly less of a surprise seeing man mountain Ben King at full-forward in the absence of brother max. The spine also has a distinct Sandringham feel about it, with James Rendell at centre half-forward and Bailey Smith in the middle. Metro captain Xavier O’Halloran and inside ball winner Rhylee West join Smith in the guts, while Riley Collier-Dawkins has been named up forward with Curtis Taylor also likely to rotate through the midfield. Northern ruck Thomas Hallebone will have the big job of containing bottom-ager Luke Jackson, who was a star for Western Australia last week.

Western Australia:

B: 4. Graydon Wilson – 31. Tom O’Donnell – 24. Regan Spooner
HB: 22. Damon Greaves – 36. Jack Buller – 15. Jordan Clark
C: 16. Ethan Hansen – 11. Luke English – 12. Jeremy Sharp
HF: 35. Mitchell Georgiades – 29. Dillion O’Reilly – 10. Rylie Morgan
F: 33. Jarrod Cameron – 21. Tyson Powell – 1. Ian Hill
R: 30. Luke Jackson – 20. Luke Foley – 18. Deven Robertson
INT: 5. Riley Garcia – 3. Jarrod Fazioli – 14. Sydney Stack – 34. Brad Oldfield – 6. Wil Hickmott
EMG: 32. Egan Bradbury – 7. James Sturrock

IN: 3. Jarrod Fazioli, 5. Riley Garcia,14. Sydney Stack, 16. Ethan Hansen,  20. Luke Foley, 21. Tyson Powell, 33. Jarrod Cameron, 34. Brad Oldfield
OUT: 7. James Sturrock, 8. Luke Moore, 13. Jason Carter, 17. Thomas Baldwin, 19. Kyle Hamersley, 23. Louis Miller, 28. Trent Rivers, 37. Xavier Peacock

Vic Metro:

B: 2. Joe Ayton-Delaney – 28. Ben Silvagni – 16. Noah Answerth
HB: 14. Isaac Quaynor – 27. Will Kelly – 23. Buku Khamis
C: 13. Lachlan Sholl – 15. Bailey Smith – 3. Zak Butters
HF: 6. Curtis Taylor – 34. James Rendell – 1. Jack Mahony
F: 7. Angus Hanrahan – 36. Ben King – 26. Riley Collier-Dawkins
R: 35. Thomas Hallebone – 18. Xavier O’Halloran – 4. Rhylee West
INT: 8. James Rowbottom – 12. Tom McKenzie – 25. Stefan Radovanovic – 20. Alastair Richards – 24. Noah Anderson – 9. Daly Andrews