Sixteen players with link to Ovens and Murray on AFL COVID top-up lists

Sixteen players with Ovens and Murray Football League connections have the potential to be catapulted into playing AFL, should a club be severely struck down.

The 18 AFL clubs could nominate up to 20 players to sit on a top-up list.

The Bulldogs biggest signings in years Angus Baker and Alex Smout are aligned to GWS.

"Wodonga's obviously the preference, that's where I signed the contract," Smout revealed.

"Technically, we (Angus and I) are on the Giants' VFL list, but they know we won't be playing any games there."

Smout has a lethal left foot and when he signed with the Bulldogs in early November, highly respected former Ainslie premiership coach Chris Rourke compared his kicking with Myrtleford's gun recruit Simon Curtis, which is as high a compliment as you could pay.

The ball-magnet midfielder also admitted to The Border Mail at the time his chances of playing at the elite level were over after an unlucky run with two VFL clubs.

COVID cut short the last VFL season when the 27-year-old was aligned with the Giants, but it could now , ironically, work in his favour for an AFL start.

"I'd absolutely jump at it (playing AFL), but I'm not waiting with bated breath," he admitted.

Baker was just pipped for a spot on Essendon's AFL list last March by Alec Waterman.

"You never know, it could happen," he suggested of an AFL call-up.

"Wodonga is definitely my priority and I've told everyone that, I've made that very clear.

"If I got a call-up, that's the only time I'll be playing my footy away from Wodonga."

The pair's enthusiasm to play at the Bulldogs will delight club officials, given the possibility of playing at the elite level, particularly for the younger Baker.

Along with the Bulldogs' duo, the following players, who are either aligned or have been to O and M clubs or Border products, are also top-up players in Charlie Thompson (Brisbane), Isaac Wallace (Collingwood), Cam McLeod (Essendon), Max Spencer (Gold Coast Suns), Ryan Hebron (GWS), Callum Moore (Casey Demons), Harry Jones, Dylan Stone (North Melbourne), Ryan Garthwaite (Port Adelaide), Tom Bracher, Jack Sexton, Tylar Young (Richmond), Nathan Cooper, Shaun Mannagh (Lavington).

Although it would need COVID to seriously damage an AFL list, you could see the remarkable situation where Jones makes a rare appearance for Wodonga one weekend and then plays AFL.

The 23-year-old's primary club is North Melbourne in the VFL, with the Bulldogs as his 'home' outfit.

Jones starred in the one game for his junior club last season and ACT-based Smout says there's a buzz at the Bulldogs.

"Watching Carlton play last night (Thursday) and seeing their young nucleus of players coming together and blokes coming into their prime gives me good hope that's something we might be able to do," he explained enthusiastically.

ALSO IN SPORT

The VFL season starts with two games on Friday, March 25, with the O and M to kick off the next weekend.

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