Rebels set for Vic Country rep duty

SEVEN Ballarat-based players from Greater Western Victoria Rebels have been selected to compete in interstate matches as part of the Vic Country Squad’s under 16s side.

The group is made up of 23 regional players who, following a match against Vic Metro on Sunday, will play a series of doubles against other state squads as part of the Under 16 Development Championships.

GWVR head coach David Loader will guide the Vic Country Squad and said it’s a massive opportunity for every player.

“It’s their first opportunity in the national pathway for obviously recruiters and AFL scouts,” he said.

“Even though they’re 15 and 16 now, soon they’ll be 17, 18 and then they’re drafted. A lot of these boys will find themselves on an AFL list.

“There’s a lot of learning and a lot of stuff for us to get through from this and they’ll go on this journey together even though they’re on other ends of the state.”

The Vic Country Squad is set to travel to Queensland in early July, where they’ll go up against South Australia’s squad on Tuesday 4 July followed by Western Australia on Friday 7 July.

Local players to make the rep team include Sinclair Burmeister, Archie Taylor, Charlie McKinnon, Harley Hicks, Taj Bowman, Sam Nicklaus and Jack Murray, who were selected out of an initial pool of 50 players.

Bowman has been with GWVR since the start of the year after starting out in Ballarat North Football Club’s under 10s side.

He said it’s “surreal” to have been picked.

“This is one of my best achievements,” he said. “I think I’ve definitely worked up to it and I’m very lucky to have been picked.

“I’m really looking forward to coming together more as a group with the others in trying to win a couple games.”