IN the first of two double headers in Victoria, the Round 4 teams are in for the National Under 18 Championships which take place at GMHBA Stadium. Vic Country will play its final game of the carnival, hoping to get a win against fellow winless side Western Australia, while South Australia will hope to maintain its unbeaten streak and play off in a “grand final” against Vic Metro in the final round when the Croweaters take on the Allies.

ALLIES VS. SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Friday, June 29, 2.10pm
GMHBA Stadium, Geelong

In the second clash, the Allies will face South Australia in lieu of keeping their slim National Under 18s Championships title hopes alive. They will need to win their two remaining games and hope South Australia beat Vic Metro, but also have enough percentage to overtake the Croweaters who dominated Western Australia in the opening round. The Allies have made seven changes to the squad that was terribly unlucky against Vic Metro, and brought in some fresh legs. Connor Budarick, Joshua Stern, Rhyan Mansell and Caleb Graham all come into the team and slot up forward in a different looking set-up, while Guy Richardson sets up at half-back and Jesse Quint and Joey Reinhard have been named on the bench. Baxter Norton, Blair Rubock, Ethan Jackson, James Peatling, Lachlan McDonald, Matt McGuiness and James Tomkinson are listed as the outs. McGuiness and Michael Mummery are the two emergencies for the match.

For South Australia, the Croweaters have brought an extended squad to Victoria, with Jacob Collins and Mihail Lochowiak on standby for the clash against the Allies. The four ins are big ball-winner Boyd Woodcock, ruckman James Siviour – who has battled with injuries – defender Aaron Nietschke and over-age forward Oscar Chapman. The quartet replace Tate Coleman, Jake Tarca, the injured James Braidwood and Job Colwell in the side. South Australia are likely to set-up a “grand final” with Vic Metro regardless of result given their superior percentage, but a win here would mathematically knock the Allies out of the race.

Allies:

B: 47. Nicholas Baker – 37. Jacob Koschitzke – 11. Keidean Coleman
HB: 15. Guy Richardson – 48. Dirk Koenen – 17. Thomas Matthews
C: 20. Fraser Turner – 10. Chayce Jones – 19. Bailey Scott
HF: 1. Connor Budarick – 41. Mathew Walker – 3. Joshua Stern
F: 49. Nick Blakey – 44. Caleb Graham – 6. Rhyan Mansell
R: 40. Kieren Briggs – 31. Connor McFadyen – 46. Tarryn Thomas
INT: 28. Matthew Green – 12. Mitchell O’Neill – 26. Thomas Green – 7. Jesse Quint – 29. Joey Reinhard
EMG: 23. Michael Mummery – 36. Matthew McGuiness

IN: C. Budarick, J. Stern, R. Mansell, J. Quint, G. Richardson, J. Reinhard, C. Graham
OUT: B. Norton, B. Rubock, E. Jackson, J. Peatling, L. McDonald, M. McGuiness, J. Tomkinson

South Australia:

B: 27. Jez McLennan – 33. Tyler Martin – 10. Martin Frederick
HB: 11. Finn Betterman – 37. Riley Grundy – 43. Will Gould
C: 22. Jacob Kennerley – 16. Tom Lewis – 13. Connor Rozee
HF: 34. Jackson Hately – 47. Hugo Munn – 2. Hayden Sampson
F: 3. Boyd Woodcock – 42. Jack Lukosius – 28. Oscar Chapman
R: 44. James Siviour – 14. Izak Rankine – 32. Luke Valente
INT: 29. Kai Pudney – 30. Ben Jarvis – 25. Tom Sparrow – 23. Aaron Nietschke – 4. Kade Chandler
EMG: 35. Jacob Collins – 31. Mihail Lochowiak

IN: B. Woodcock, J. Siviour, A. Nietschke, O. Chapman
OUT: T. Coleman, J. Tarca, J. Braidwood, J. Colwell

VIC COUNTRY VS. WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Friday, June 29, 4.40pm
GMHBA Stadium, Geelong

Vic Country have made four changes at the selection table, bringing in six players to create an extended bench ahead of the clash with Western Australia tomorrow. Two debutants come into the side in Bendigo Pioneers’ Brodie Kemp, and Murray Bushrangers’ Ely Smith. The inside midfielder was a late call-up this week to the squad after initially missing the cut. But with injuries to Jye Caldwell and Mitch Riordan, and superb TAC Cup form, Smith makes it into the team. He is joined in there by Brock Smith, Matty Lloyd and Bushrangers teammates Zane Barzen and Hudson Garoni who bounced back from missing last week with good form in the TAC Cup. The injured Riordan is out along with bottom-ager Caleb Serong, as well as Jake Frawley and Blake Schlensog.

For Western Australia, they have had a couple of weeks off to lick their wounds from two early losses and now return with the clash at GMHBA Stadium. Jason Carter returns to the side which will give Dockers fans something to smile about with the Fremantle Next Generation Academy member named on the wing. He is joined in the side by defenders Jake Pasini and Louis Miller, as well as Thomas Baldwin, Tyron Smallwood and Tom Medhat, all of whom have been named on the bench. Ethan Hansen and Luke Moore are the two emergencies in the squad of 25 the Black Swans have brought over. Among the outs are exciting forward Jarrod Fazioli, Wil Hickmott, Luke Jackson, Tom O’Donnell and Riley Garcia.

Vic Country:

B: 20. Cooper Stephens – 39. Connor Idun – 13. Thomas Berry
HB: 6. Laitham Vandermeer – 25. Kyle Reid – 17. Hayden Young
C: 1. Will Hamill – 19. Sam Fletcher – 11. Zane Keighran
HF: 30. Oscar Brownless – 32. Brodie Kemp – 8. Ned McHenry
F: 5. Xavier Duursma – 14. Sam Flanders – 10. Zac Foot
R: 23. Mark Marriott – 21. Ely Smith – 2. Sam Walsh
INT: 35. Hudson Garoni – 27. Zane Barzen – 31. Brock Smith – 24. Matty Lloyd – 29. Bailey Williams – 36. Riley Bowman – 34. Scott Carlin – 3. Toby Bedford

IN: B. Kemp, E. Smith, B. Smith, H. Garoni, Z. Barzen, M. Lloyd
OUT: M. Riordan (inj) – C. Serong – J. Frawley, B. Schlensog

Western Australia:

B: 4. Graydon Wilson – 26. Jake Pasini – 23. Louis Miller
HB: 22. Damon Greaves – 24. Regan Spooner – 15. Jordan Clark
C: 13. Jason Carter – 11. Luke English – 12. Jeremy Sharp
HF: 35. Mitchell Georgiades – 29. Dillion O’Reilly – 10. Rylie Morgan
F: 2. Jarrod Cameron – 21. Tyson Powell – 1. Ian Hill
R: 36. Jack Buller – 20. Luke Foley – 18. Deven Robertson
INT: 17. Thomas Baldwin – 9. Tyron Smallwood – 14. Sydney Stack – 34. Brad Oldfield – 27. Tom Medhat
EMG: 16. Ethan Hansen – 8. Luke Moore

IN: J. Pasini, L. Miller, J. Carter, T. Baldwin, T. Smallwood, T. Medhat
OUT: J. Fazioli, W. Hickmott, E. Hansen, L. Jackson, T. O’Donnell, R. Garcia