Six Peel Football and Netball League players will represent WA in a clash against South Australia next Saturday, after being named to the WA state country 30-man squad.
The WA Country Football League announced the squad yesterday, which features a string of Peel-based talent coming off the back of a winning Landmark Country Football Championships campaign.
Andrew Haydon (South Mandurah), Eddie Dann (Baldivis), Courtney Lakay (Waroona), Brad Holmes (South Mandurah), Matthew Buxton (Centrals) and Tyson Phillips (Halls Head) were all named in the squad.
Haydon comes into the side after winning the Landmark carnival’s overall best and fairest award for division one, while Lakay took out the best-on-ground honours for the Landmark grand final.
Holmes has booted 60 goals in the PFNL’s 12 rounds to lead the league, while Dann, Buxton and Phillips have all been key parts of their sides’ 2017 campaigns.
For Holmes and Lakay, the selection follows on from the WA Country Football League player of the week honours they received earlier this season.
Holmes was named the state’s best player following a bag of 10 goals against Centrals in round nine, while Lakay took the award a fortnight ago for his outstanding Landmark Country Football Championships campaign.
Head coach Craig Walker is confident that the squad has the potential to turn the tables on their South Australian counterparts.
“Selecting the squad this year has been the most difficult in my time as coach and trying to settle on a final 22 will be even more difficult, which is a great problem to have given the caliber of players that are chomping at the bit to represent the state,” he said.
“We put out a much-improved showing last year but left disappointed that we didn’t get the win. The selectors and I are confident that we can continue on that improvement and ensure that the silverware stays in WA.”
The WA side will take on South Australia at Fremantle Community Bank Oval on Saturday, July 29.
WA’s full side
- Mitch Boyle (Railways, GNFL)
- Joel Leeson (Dalwallinu, MFL)
- Brendon Jones (Harvey, SWFL)
- Andrew Haydon (South Mandurah, PFNL)
- Eddie Dann (Baldivis, PFNL)
- Matt Orzel (North Albany, GSFL)
- Steven Payne (AMR, SWFL)
- Scott Worthington (Boulder, GFL)
- Courtney Lakay (Waroona, PFNL)
- Josh Bootsma (Katanning, UGSFL)
- Simon Moore (Jurien Bay, CMCFL)
- Brad Holmes (South Mandurah, PFNL)
- Lewis Harvey (Cervantes, CMCFL)
- Matthew Buxton (Centrals, PFNL)
- Wil Oelsnik (Eaton, SWFL)
- Mason Hislop (South Bunbury, SWFL)
- Greg Broughton (Toodyay, MFL)
- Michael Russell (Eaton, SWFL)
- Brett Peake (Bunbury, SWFL)
- Arron Russell (Wongan-Ballidu, MFL)
- David Johnston (Wagin, UGSFL)
- Joel Houghton (Collie, SWFL)
- Blake Borrett (York, AFA)
- Matt Dickie (Newman Tigers, NNFL)
- Rhys Waters (Jurien Bay, CMCFL)
- Jayden Magro (Jurien Bay, CMCFL)
- Dylan Ross (Wickepin, UGSFL)
- Jordan McAllister (Ravensthorpe, RDFA)
- Tyson Phillips (Halls Head, PFNL)
- Karl Zis (Rovers, GNFL)