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NorthPort's picture
NorthPort
Last seen: 2 days 6 hours ago
Joined: 03/11/2003 - 00:00
Smithy's VFL State Team squad announced
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A 50-player Smithy’s VFL State Team squad has been announced ahead of the representative clash against the SANFL in Glenelg during the AFL Gather Round

The Victorian Football League (VFL) has announced a 50-player squad ahead of its highly-anticipated return to representative football when it takes on the SANFL during the AFL Gather Round next month.

The fierce rivalry between the Smithy’s VFL and Hostplus SANFL League will reignite on Saturday, April 6 when the best players from both competitions face off during the AFL Gather Round… A Festival of Footy, which will take place in South Australia from April 4-7.

The match marks the first senior men’s representative clash between the VFL and SANFL since 2016 and the VFL’s first representative match since 2017.

The Smithy’s VFL State Team squad features many of the best VFL-listed players from across the competition, with 19 of the 21 clubs represented. AFL-listed players, including rookie-listed players, are not eligible to be selected.

2023 grand finalist Werribee leads the way with eight representatives named in the squad, followed by the Southport Sharks (six) and Port Melbourne (four).

The squad includes six players who featured in the 2023 Smithy’s VFL Team of the Year, along with a host of new recruits who have joined Smithy’s VFL clubs during the off-season.

The Smithy’s VFL State Team coaching panel was announced last month, with Box Hill Hawks coach Zane Littlejohn appointed head coach.

He will lead a highly experienced coaching panel that includes current-serving coaches Steve Daniel (Southport Sharks), Ben Hudson (Brisbane Lions) and Adam Skrobalak (Port Melbourne).

A final squad of 23 players to represent the ‘Big V’ in the league’s first representative appearance in seven years will be announced closer to the match.

Players from outside the squad of 50 will still be eligible for selection in the final squad, with form across the opening two rounds of the 2024 Smithy’s VFL season to be taken into consideration.

Continue below to view the 50-player Smithy’s VFL State Team squad.

Name

Club

Callum Brown

Box Hill Hawks

Tyler Brown

Box Hill Hawks

Cal Porter

Box Hill Hawks

Kyle Dunkley

Brisbane Lions

Ewan Macpherson

Brisbane Lions

Ned Cahill

Carlton

Lachlan Young

Carlton

Campbell Hustwaite

Casey Demons

Roan Steele

Casey Demons

Mitch White

Casey Demons

Flynn Gentile

Coburg

Sam Glover

Collingwood

Ned Long

Collingwood

Jackson Hately

Essendon

Xavier O'Neill

Essendon

Trent Bianco

Footscray Bulldogs

Josh Chatfield

Footscray Bulldogs

Phoenix Spicer

Footscray Bulldogs

George Grey

Frankston

Trent Mynott

Frankston

Bailey Van De Heuvel

Geelong Cats

Sam Lowson

North Melbourne

Jack Watkins

North Melbourne

Jean-Luc Velissaris

Northern Bullants

Tom Highmore

Port Melbourne

Harvey Hooper

Port Melbourne

Robbie McComb

Port Melbourne

Roarke Smith

Port Melbourne

Mutaz El Nour

Richmond

Joel Garner

Richmond

Lachlan Street

Richmond

Hugo Hall-Kahan

Sandringham

Darby Hipwell

Sandringham

Brayden Crossley

Southport Sharks

Jacob Dawson

Southport Sharks

Hugh Dixon

Southport Sharks

Ben Jepson

Southport Sharks

Max Pescud

Southport Sharks

Boyd Woodcock

Southport Sharks

Jake Bartholomaeus

Sydney Swans

Dom Brew

Werribee

Nathan Cooper

Werribee

Kye Declase

Werribee

Hudson Garoni

Werribee

Nick Hayes

Werribee

Jack Henderson

Werribee

Sam Paea

Werribee

Louis Pinnuck

Werribee

Tom Downie

Williamstown

Brodie McLaughlin

Williamstown

TICKETING

Tickets for the representative clash between the Smithy’s VFL and Hostplus SANFL League are now on sale.

Entry is just $15 for Adults and $10 for Concession while children aged under 18 receive free admission and do not require a ticket for entry.

Wally from Will...
Last seen: 2 days 5 hours ago
Joined: 07/09/2009 - 11:55

mmmmm, players from Brisbane, Southport and the Sydney Swans in the squad - I bet they've been dreaming all their life of pulling on the Big V 

UpTheDolphins's picture
UpTheDolphins
Last seen: 1 hour 8 sec ago
Joined: 04/07/2023 - 14:52

The rivalry at its heart is state vs state rather than league vs league, which makes it pretty awkward having players from NSW and QLD wearing the Big V. 

The joys of being in a psuedo-state league with a muddled identity. 

aj9172's picture
aj9172
Last seen: 6 days 8 hours ago
Joined: 26/08/2019 - 16:45

I'm not remotely excited by this game. If it's not origin, it could at least be state of residence.