By Jonty Ralphsmith
A dozen Dandenong Stingrays and six Gippsland Power players competed across the two Vic Country v Vic Metro trial matches at Trevor Barker Oval, Sandringham, on Saturday.
The matches gave some of the Coates League standouts the opportunity to show what they’re capable of against strong opposition.
The matches were influential in the selection of the final Vic Country squads.
Defender Billy Wilson, bottom-agers Jacob Noble and Jacob Grant, Cooper Hynes, Ben Hopkins, Noah Mraz and Harvey Langford and mid-season draft prospect Ziggy Toledo-Glasman are all vying to break into the squad from the ‘Rays.
Another over-aged prospect, Joziah Nannup, impressed on the day for the Stingrays with several eye-catching glimpses as a pressure and energetic small forward.
Wilson has had the strongest start to the season of the lot as a line-breaking back who breaks the game open with his dare and ball use.
Toledo-Glasman has kicked nine goals across his past two Talent League games as an undersized forward, showing his strength and craft at different stages on the weekend.
Hynes started the game strongly and Mraz played in defence
Strongly-built midfielder Sam Frangalas, fellow mid-forward Kade De La Rue and interceptor Kobe Shippalso played, and will all be hoping to maintain their places.
After strong starts to the season, co-captains Cooper Simpson and Harry DeMattia – both already Vic Country listed – sat the game out, with Simpson making his VFL debut the following day for Casey.
Gippsland was represented by Xavier Lindsay, Tom Hanily, Wil Dawson, Lachie Smith, Harper Fox and Ryan Maric.
Dawson was a standout for Vic Country, kicking three goals and presenting as a big target inside 50 all day.
Bottom-ager Lindsay’s selection is reward for his ability to adapt to Talent League footy seamlessly after being in the Under-16 Vic Country squad last year, while Hanily was another who justified his selection with a strong start to the season.
Maric is receiving some talk as a mid-season draft prospect and was a threat up forward on the day.
Zane Duursma and Archer Reid, who each played in the AFL Academy game last week, did not play the match.
