IT’S May, which means one thing in the Ovens and Murray Football Netball League – interleague is right around the corner. Set for Saturday, 24 May, at Wangaratta’s W. J. Findlay Oval, the annual football and netball showdown with Goulburn Valley FNL for the Ash-Wilson Trophy is always a special occasion. The squad for the senior football side was announced on Thursday, 1 May, featuring 44 of the best the O&M has to offer. Locally, Myrtleford Saints Bowen Calogero, Tom Cappellari, Jaxon East, Zac Pethybridge, and Riley Smith have all been named in the provisional squad. Senior interleague coach and Myrtleford player Jake Sharp said it was a talented group of players, with genuine depth across the three lines. “We’re really happy with the squad,” he said. “I feel like we’ve got a good balance across all lines and positions, and we’ve definitely got some firepower in there complemented by some good young talent within the league. “It’s really important to acknowledge form, particularly from the first three rounds – Rovers and Magpies have obviously played four games – but players that have been in good form at their clubs, I think the squad’s reflective of that. “That was probably the key criteria, while also making sure we had balance across all positions and depth in those positions within the squad.” The squad will have three weekly training sessions in the run up to the interleague clash, with the final session at W.J. Findlay Oval on Wednesday, 21 May. Sharp said he was looking forward to seeing who distinguished themselves at the sessions. “I think in these types of programs you always find players that are not smokies but some that really catch your eye, that’s what I’m looking forward to,” he said. “It’ll be good to see which one of those players in the squad is that scenario that catches my eye and gives themselves an opportunity on 24 May.” Every club in the league is represented in the 44-man squad, and it will be extremely tough to cut the squad down to the final team who will run out against GVL. “The clubs have been very good with accommodating this – the challenge was to get at least five from every squad to get a squad of around 50, and I think we ended up with 44, so we were pretty close to hitting our goal,” Sharp said. “It’s something that, when I took this job, the passion that Kane [OMFNL general manager Kane Arendarcikas] and Dave [OMFNL chairman David Sinclair] spoke about in regards to interleague led me more down the path of doing it, just knowing that as a coach you’re going to be well resourced and well supported in these endeavours. “We’re really happy with the level of buy-in from the clubs but also the players themselves. “Players are giving up their time, giving up a bye week, so you want to really make sure it’s an experience worthwhile for everyone.” The under 18s football, and open, 17 and under, and 15 and under netball squads will be announced in the coming days. The interleague clash with GVL is on Saturday, 24 May, at W. J. Findlay Oval. Senior OMFNL football squad Albury: Jacob Conlan, Jake Pitt, Ty Quade. Corowa Rutherglen: Kaelan Bradtke, Darcy Hope, Jedd Longmire, Liam McCarthy, Cody Schutt. Lavington: Jack Costello, Shaun Driscoll, Jesse Hart, Alex Swinnerton. Myrtleford: Bowen Calogero, Tom Cappellari, Jaxon East, Zac Pethybridge, Riley Smith. North Albury: Foster Gardiner, Archer Gardiner, Josh Murphy, Ben Rigoni. Wangaratta: Jackson Clarke, Alex Federico, Parker Heatley, Harrison Hewitt, Xavier Laverty. Wangaratta Rovers: Will Christie, Charles Ledger, Alex McCarthy, Jace McQuade, Charlie Thompson. Wodonga: Reuben Bourke, Noash Bradshaw, Charlie Morrison, Tom O’Sullivan, Matt Wilson. Wodonga Raiders: Nick Bracher, Indhi Kotzur, Beau O’Neill, Corey Rich, Archer Scammell, Brad St John. Yarrawonga: Ben Coghill, Ned Pendergast.
