VIC COUNTRY faces a tall order in replicating last year’s run to a title decider, but will be armed with a pick one contender and some serious class around the square. The Big V’s versatile smalls and dynamic marking forwards will be among the big watches throughout their National Championships campaign.

>> FULL SQUAD: 2025 Vic Country Under 18s

BREAKDOWN

TOP-END TALENT:
AFL Academy (5): Willem Duursma, Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves, Josh Lindsay, Riley Onley, Ben Rongdit

AGE PROFILE:
Bottom-age (2008-born): 3
Top-age (2007-born): 24
Over-age (2006-born): 1

SQUAD NUMBERS

1. Talor Byrne, 3. Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves, 4. Zachary O’Keefe, 5. Hugo Mikunda, 6. Josh Lindsay, 7. Willem Duursma, 8. Thomas Matthews, 11. Toby Sinnema, 13. Rilley Aquilina, 14. Jesse Mellor, 15. Harry Dean, 16. Jobe Scapin, 17. Harley Hicks, 19. Hunter Wright, 20. Ben Rongdit, 21. Cody Walker, 22. Riley Onley, 25. Archie Taylor, 26. Mitchell Stevens, 28. Darcy Szerszyn, 29. Callum Smith 30. Max Lee, 33. Wil Malady, 34. Harry Moon, 35. Jett Elek, 37. Tairon Ah-Mu, 38. Zac Harding

TRAIN-ONS: Tanner Armstrong, Ethan Drever, Gus Kennedy, Marlon Neocleous, Jack Pickett, Marcus Prasad, Fletcher Pulleine, Cody Templeton

FIXTURE

vs. Western Australia
Saturday June 7, 12pm AEST @ Mineral Resources Park

vs. South Australia
Sunday June 29, 10:30am AEST @ TBC (Victoria)

vs. Allies
Saturday July 5, 12:15 AEST @ IKON Park

vs. Vic Metro
Sunday July 20, 11am AEST @ RSEA Park

TRIAL GAMES

Vic Country vs. Vic Metro (Game 1)
Vic Country vs. Vic Metro (Game 2)
Vic Country vs. Young Guns

SQUAD STRENGTHS

Having a pick one contender in the squad isn’t a bad place to start. The player in question, Willem Duursma cut his teeth on the wing and down back in last year’s squad, but perhaps a graduation to midfield is in the offing. He, and running defender Josh Lindsay are the side’s leading prospects.

There are some unique, dynamic options up forward for the Vics, with the likes of Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves, Jobe Scapin and Jesse Mellor able to play taller than their 185-186cm standings. The former pair can also roll up to the wing, while Mellor offers a strong body around the stoppages in midfield.

Still on the attackers, bottom-ager Wil Malady is a freakish aerialist and no key forward is as physically imposing as Tairon Ah-Mu. Vic Country should have a good ground of ground level players at his feet, with Tom Matthews a genuine pressure forward among the group of hybrid small types.

There’s some good size in the Country engine room, too. Duursma measures up at over 190cm, as does Riley Onley, though neither are overtly physical in their approach. Expect some of the smaller types to provide grunt and pressure, like Cody Walker, Talor Byrne, and Hugo Mikunda when not up forward.

STAR POWER

Duursma and Lindsay are among five National Academy members in the squad, along with Onley, Hibbins-Hargreaves, and defender Ben Rongdit. The positive for Country is they will be able to utilise that talent in a good spread across the field, but most notably defence and midfield.

Bottom-age star Walker, tied to Carlton via father-son rules, is also considered a pick one contender for next year. He has been in sensational form and may well already be among the squad’s most important handful of players. Same goes for top-age key defender Harry Dean, another Carlton father-son.

POTENTIAL RISERS

Dean is quickly becoming a top 30 talent based on his intercept ability and pure defensive nous. Hibbins-Hargreaves is a classy talent who could utilise the championships to recapture top form and serve a reminder of his potential, having had an injury interrupted start to the season.

Elsewhere, Matthews looms as a player suited for the big stage, offering the pressure, intent and excitement recruiters have fawned over in specialist small forwards. Mellor is another in terrific form with a knack for kicking goals in bunches, so watch for him to rip a game apart and stake his claim.

NEXT GEN

Only three bottom-agers have been included in the squad, though all eight train-ons fit into the 2008-born category. Walker and Malady have serious star factor, and Darcy Szerszyn cannot be slept on in terms of his own quality. He’s a marking machine at either end of the ground who could be called upon.

Among the list of train-ons, small utility Tanner Armstrong is as tough as they come and would not be overawed by the occasion. Same goes for rough-and-tumble Gippsland prospect Cody Templeton, while small forward Marcus Prasad and Marlon Neocleous are capable of producing absolute magic.

FRESH FACES

IN: Riley Aquilina, Talor Byrne, Jett Elek, Zac Harding, Thomas Matthews, Jesse Mellor, Harry Moon, Callum Smith

Vic Country promoted eight players from outside of the summer squad and still have room to add more, potentially out of their additional eight train-ons. Key position support was somewhat of a priority with Harding (ruck), Elek (forward/ruck), and Moon (defender) all adding height. Speedy smalls like Aquilina, Byrne and Matthews will likely feature around the square and up forward, where Mellor has been in ripping form. Speaking of, Smith’s consistent run in midfield was too good to ignore.

BEST LINEUP

B: B. Rongdit – H. Moon – M. Lee
HB: J. Lindsay – H. Dean – M. Stevens
C: Z. O’Keefe – R. Onley – T. Sinnema
HF: N. Hibbins-Hargreaves – J. Mellor – J. Scapin
F: T. Matthews – T. Ah-Mu – W. Malady
FOL: Z. Harding – C. Walker – W. Duursma

INT: J. Elek, H. Mikunda, C. Smith, D. Szerszyn, H. Wright

EMG: R. Aquilina, T. Byrne, H. Hicks, A. Taylor

HOW THEY STACK UP

This year’s Country squad doesn’t quite have the same top-end talent or depth as last year – particularly in midfield – but plenty of people said that about last year’s competitive West Australian side. The Vics don’t tend to often lower their colours, so expect this Country mob to keep up despite the drop-off. A title seems out of reach, but anything is possible after favourites the Allies were beaten in game one.