New faces join SWFL championships team

The SWFL’s MGIB team for the 2019 Landmark Country Football Championships has been confirmed, with several fresh faces set to make their senior regional debut on Friday at Arena Joondalup,

The South West side opens its division one campaign with matches against the Avon Football Association and Peel Football Netball League, which will be followed by matches against the Goldfields and Upper Great Southern Football Leagues on Saturday at Bassendean Oval.

Several players looked in excellent touch during Monday night’s training session at Payne Park, which was followed by the official jumper presentation.

Coach Jamie Nani addressed the playing group and team officials at the function and believed that it would be a special moment for several players.

“Unfortunately we did have five injuries over the weekend so we had to change the squad a fair bit,” he said.

“There’s 16 new faces who haven’t played for the league before, due to being either new to the league or guys that have progressed from the colts up to the seniors.

“Hopefully those guys get a taste of it and will be keen to do it for years to come.”

No stranger to country week, Nani told the South Western Times that confirming a final squad always had its challenges, but he was excited about what his squad could potentially achieve this weekend.

“Seeing as though they all played on Sunday I thought they were all pretty crisp tonight,” he said.

“It’s always good to have the cream of the crop. At training, it’s about them all getting to know each other as well.”

With the format of two reduced halves for each match and percentage having a major bearing on the business end of the table, Nani is aware of what is required.

“You have to win the first game otherwise you are chasing your tail for the rest of the carnival,” he said.

“If you win two on the first day, you set yourself up.

“I’m solely focussed on Avon, getting a fast start and putting all of our chips in the ring.”

Final squad: Dylan Heasman, Dylan Partridge, Tyson Wood, Kane Bumann, Travis Justins (Bunbury), Reegan Mrsich (Busselton), Sam Read, Riese Wilkey (Carey Park), Hayden Yarran, Paul Rinder (Collie Eagles) Kieran Hug, Jace Cormack (c), Chris Atthowe, Tyler Patterson, Luke Dale, Fraser Healey (Donnybrook), Jarrod Humphries, Graham Jetta (Eaton Boomers), Jesse Crichton (vc), Jonathon Fenwick, Taine Williams, Tom Quaife, Zavier Williams, Jack Fletcher (Harv-Bruns-Lesch), Jay Collard, Calvin Thorne, Eddie Dann (Harvey Bulls), Jay Wright, Brent Latch (South Bunbury).