The Murray Bushrangers and North East Border under-15 V/Line Cup squads have been named, with 11 Yarrawonga Mulwala players in the boys squads and two in the girl’s squad as part of September’s carnival in Ballarat.
Mulwala players Henry Donovan, Van Kreeck, Maiko Leith, Archie Purtle and Axel Saunders are part of a 44-strong list of young guns from 15 clubs around the Goulburn Murray region gearing up to challenge for the cup.
Yarrawonga will be represented in the North East & Border team by Connor McCarty in division 1 and in division 2, James Cummins, Cooper Clark, Cooper Webster, Lucas Cain and Lach Wren.
For the girls’ squad locals Crystal Holdsworth and Ebonny Chapman were selected
Simon Grumley has been tasked with coaching the division one side for the Murray Bushrangers in Ballarat, to be held from September 23 to 25, while Tyson Saunders will steer the division two side forward.
Grumley detailed how the rising stars were selected for the biggest date on the junior footy calendar.
“It’s a six- or seven-month process — we get around, look at games and who’s doing what et cetera,” he said.
“We also run a Murray Bushrangers junior academy through school holidays, so a lot of that program integrates into the V/Line Cup.
“We bring in kids for other reasons, they’re playing good football that haven’t been in the academy et cetera.
“It’s not a quick decision, there’s a fair bit of work that goes on behind the scenes.
“This year has probably been one of the harder selections we’ve had for the last four or five years which is a good thing.
“We’re happy with the squad and again, there’s been a lot of really good kids miss out too but it’s their first entry into a pathway program.
“The kids who missed out, they go away, work hard and at some point they’ll get their opportunity as well.
“But we’re pretty happy with the squad we’ve picked, but we don’t always get it right — it’s just part of the beast I suppose of those pathway programs.”
This year’s V/Line Cup will be the first edition not held in Shepparton in half a decade, involving more than 600 players, officials and umpires.