IT SAYS a lot for the strength of the Ovens and Murray under-19 team that Jono Spina’s hamstring injury caused a few anxious moments for Paul Maher on Wednesday night.
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With names like Dom Brew, Ethan Boxall, Brad Melville and Brady and Riley Sharp at his disposal, Maher was preparing to lose one of his best players to replace the injured defender in the senior line-up.
Thankfully for the under-19 coach, that scenario was avoided and he will take an imposing team into Saturday’s interleague match against Hampden at Warrnambool’s Reid Oval.
Brew has been a driving force behind North Albury’s strong start to the season, Boxall would be close to leading Wodonga Raiders’ best and fairest and the imposing Sharp brothers have held down key positions for a young and improving Myrtleford outfit.
“It was disappointing to see Spina go down with the hammy and it nearly impacted on us,” Maher said.
“It just goes to show the depth we have around the place at the moment, that they can make a phone call to the under-19s and still have a hell of a lot of quality to choose from.
“Ethan, Dom, the Sharp boys, with the impact they’ve had at senior level this year they certainly wouldn’t have been out of place in that senior team.
“We’re really excited about Ethan being a great leader for us on Saturday. His speed and skill will be a huge asset.
“The Sharp boys will be our bookends at centre half-forward and centre half-back and then you’ve got Dom, who’s been outstanding for North Albury.”
Brew will captain the side with Corowa-Rutherglen’s Bill Hansen to be his deputy.
Maher said Brew had commanded a leadership role with his voice at training.
“You get a lot of good, young leaders when it comes to interleague and Dom certainly made his presence felt in those early nights with his talk,” he said.
“His communication with the other boys in the side was outstanding.”
While Maher is no stranger to Reid Oval after spending three seasons with Colac-Coragulac in his younger days, he had little inside knowledge on the opposition.
“It was very windy there when I used to play and I’m tipping it will be the same this weekend,” he said.
“We’ll assume they’re a strong, young side because the Hampden league is a quality league as well.”
OVENS AND MURRAY UNDER-19S
B: J. Schilg, T. Mann, J. Irvine
HB: G. Haynes, B. Sharp, B. McIntosh
C: W. Nolan, D. Brew, B. Melville
HF: J. Lavis, R. Sharp, H. McKimmie
F: J. Kirley, T. McMullan, E. Boxall
Foll: Z. Bye, B. Hansen, B. Coburn
Int: C. Fendyk, T. Galloway, L. Quirk, Z. Elliott