BFNL chooses four-man player under-19 leadership group

THE BFNL will head into its under-19s interleague campaign with a four-player leadership group.

Under-19s coach Jason Stevens has announced James Gray (Gisborne), Jack McMahon (Golden Square), Jack O’Shannessy (Eaglehawk), and Aaron Nevins (Kangaroo Flat) as the team’s leaders ahead of the July 13 clash against the VAFA at the QEO.

The announcement coincides with the trimming of an initial 54-player training squad to 39.

It comprises players from all eight of the league’s clubs.

Sandhurst leads the way with eight representatives while Strathfieldsaye (six), Kangaroo Flat (five) and Golden Square (five) are well represented.

South Bendigo, Eaglehawk and Gisborne all have four players in the squad, while Castlemaine has three.

Stevens praised the appointment of Gray, McMahon, O’Shannessy and Nevins as leaders.

“These guys are not only talented senior players in our league, but they’ve also shown a genuine commitment to driving this program forward,” he said.

“They’ll set the tone with their professionalism, competitiveness, and investment.”

Stevens branded the selection of the revised 40-player squad as ‘challenging but rewarding’ for the coaching group, scanning talent from across the senior, reserves, and under-18 grades.

“We’re really pleased to announce a well-balanced squad that features strong representation from across all BFNL clubs, he said.

“Reflecting on the depth of talent within the initial 54-player squad, some outstanding players have unfortunately missed out on this 39-man announcement.

“A number of them have been performing at senior level, and their omission is no reflection on their talent.

“Ultimately, we needed to build a squad that suits the way we want to play – and that meant making some tough positional calls.

“We’ve worked closely with the Bendigo Pioneers to ensure we’ve only included players in our squad who meet eligibility requirements.

“We’ll keep the dialogue open with the Pioneers as we get closer to game time to confirm the availability of eligible players. “We’re grateful to club coaches and our trusted contacts around the league who supported us throughout the selection process,” he said. “Their insights were critical.

“We can’t wait to get to work with this group. Our aim is to create an environment where players enjoy this opportunity and are supported to thrive.

“We know we’ll face a strong opponent stacked with Coates Talent League and VFL experience, but we’ll pick a side that’s built for the QEO…compete really hard and proudly represent the BFNL.”

The squad will train for the first time at Camp Reserve, Castlemaine on 18 June, before a second session on June 25 at Kangaroo Flat’s Dower Park.

The training squad will be narrowed to a 23-player team plus two emergencies during match week. The final team will complete two training sessions on 9 and 11 July at the QEO.

BFNL under-19 interleague training squad:

Archie Rixon, Chaz Holman, Curtis McClennan (Castlemaine), Jack O’Shannessy, James Coates-Moore, Nick Thompson, Tyson Taylor (Eaglehawk), Campbell Johns, James Gray, Lachlan Evans, Will Elliott (Gisborne), Jack McMahon, Jess Gill, Jimmy Wilkinson, Melvic Pambai, Ollie Eaton (Golden Square) Aaron Nevins, Jay Newman, Tyran Farmer, Xav Coghill, Zach Bird (Kangaroo Flat), Carter Reid, Charles Duke, Henry Edwards, Jack English, Jake Austin, Jaxon Howard, Oliver Morris, Oscar Cail (Sandhurst), Adam Triplett, Jasper Irwin, Ollie Turnbull, Toby Hardingham (South Bendigo) Alex Wingrave, Charlie King, Hugh Behrens, Jed Daniels, Joe Hayes, Jye Chambers (Strathfieldsaye).