BOOM Albury forward Josh Mellington headlines a list of eight Tigers in the Ovens and Murray’s preliminary interleague squad.
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Daniel Cross, Dean Polo, Brayden O’Hara and Joel Mackie are other big-name players from the two-time reigning premiers to feature in the 42-man group.
High-flying Wangaratta forward Michael Newton has also been named for the league’s crunch clash against Hampden in Warrnambool on May 21.
At least three players from each of the league’s 10 clubs have been named by co-coaches Jon Henry and Darrell Spencer.
Mellington has started the season in superb fashion, booting 33 goals in four matches which includes back-to-back bags of 10.
Should Mellington, Cross, Polo, Newton and Yarrawonga champion Craig Ednie line up against Hampden, the Ovens and Murray team will boast 367 games of AFL experience.
Henry said he and Spencer had contacted most of the squad and was confident the players named were committed to representing the league after a disappointing defeat to Peninsula last year.
A loss to Hampden could see the league slip out of the top 10 with a statewide ranking system to be implemented from 2017.
“We need to take a good side down there and get the job done,” Henry said.
“That’s the idea of contacting everyone, that the players are available and buying into it.
“Going into next year, with the metro sides coming into it, we could end up a long way from where we want to be.”
Elliott Powell, Jay O’Donoghue, Matt Dussin and Shaun Mannagh represent a new wave of fresh, young talent in the competition that Henry was keen to expose to a higher a level.
The squad to train four times in the lead-up to the clash against Hampden, with dates and times to be finalised.
“We just want the players to buy in,” Henry said.
“Our highest priority was to get guys who can play certain positions and fill certain roles on match-day.
“With our selection, we’ve tried to be position-specific with the guys that we’ve picked.
“As it’s turned out, which is good, we’ve been able to get a minimum of three from every club.”
THE SQUAD
Albury: Luke Packer, Michael Duncan, Daniel Cross, Dean Polo, Brayden O’Hara, Joel Mackie, Josh Mellington, Elliott Powell (8)
Corowa-Rutherglen: Hayden Filliponi, Jay O’Donoghue, James Svarc (3)
Lavington: Brant Dickson, Jono Spina, Tom Hargreave, Luke Garland (4)
Myrtleford: Matt Dussin, Mitch Dalbosco, Christian Burgess (3)
North Albury: Shaun Mannagh, Lachie Taylor-Nugent, Ricky Whitehead (3)
Wangaratta: Matt Grossman, Michael Bordignon, Ben Douthie, Michael Newton (4)
Wangaratta Rovers: Dylan Stone, Shane Gaston, Dylan Wilson (3)
Wodonga: Jackson Heagney-Steart, Matt Seiter, Brett Doswell (3)
Wodonga Raiders: Jack Di Mizio, Hayden Heta, Todd Bryant, Jydon Neagle, Adam Flagg (5)
Yarrawonga: Tom Walliss, Drew Barnes, Tyler Bonat, Craig Ednie, Brad O’Connor, Jess Koopman (6)