Nine Peel Football and Netball League players will lace up their boots for the WA State Country side on Friday night, as they go head-to-head in an exhibition match against the West Australian under 18s line-up.
Brendan Tingey (Baldivis), Eddy Dann (Baldivis), Rory O’Brien (Pinjarra), Cory Fish (Halls Head), Zac Moody (Waroona), Toby Gianatti (Centrals), Emmanuel Collard (Baldivis), Brad Holmes (South Mandurah) and Tom Wood (South Mandurah) will all take to the field at Joondalup Arena for the game, which pits them against the state’s young AFL draft hopefuls.
The nine of them make up a third of the WA State Country side’s full list, with the PFNL fielding the most players out of any country league in the state.
The closest to Peel’s nine contributions is the Mortlock Football League and Avon Football Association, which will both field five players in the game.
All of the named PFNL players have been crucial to their local clubs through the first seven rounds of the season.
Baldivis trio Tingey, Collard and Dann have been instrumental in helping their side stay unbeaten seven games in, while Rory O’Brien has been outstanding for Pinjarra in his return to the country on the back of a star-studded WAFL career.
The clash against the state under 18s squad provides the country players a chance to familiarise with one another ahead of the Landmark Country Football Championships in July.
Best players from the championships will be named to the all-star team, which travels to Adelaide to take on South Australia later in the year.
The game kicks off at 7.30pm, with the country colts side squaring off against the state 16s in the curtain raiser at 5.30pm.