Wangaratta Rovers' Dylan Stone has outlined his disappointment at failing to break into North Melbourne's VFL team.
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The 26-year-old has again been named in Rovers' team to play away to Wodonga Raiders on Saturday.
"To be honest, I'm a little frustrated with the whole thing," he declared.
"I actually got picked to play for North the interleague round (on May 28), but I really wanted to play the interleague game instead, I don't know if that put a sour taste in the coach's mouth or not, I have been the emergency a few times."
North is coached by former Kangaroos' AFL player Leigh Adams (104 games between 2007-15) and Stone says he gets along well.
"He's a good fella, he's actually trying to run me through a few different roles and positions," Stone revealed.
"That potentially might free up a spot. He sees me as an outside mid or winger, but I've been telling him I'm playing a fair bit at half-forward at Rovers, so he's trying to get my head around that position down there and hopefully that might be able to squeeze me in, but he tells me I'm very close."
Stone is at his third VFL club after time at Box Hill and then Northern Bullants last year.
"When you play with a club that is aligned to an AFL club, you know what you're going to get," Stone admitted.
"You know what you are up against, the AFL-listed boys always get first go."
And while it's been frustrating having to wait to make his Kangaroos' VFL debut, it's been a blessing for the Hawks, where the classy forward has been in the club's leading five players after the opening 10 fixtures of an enthralling season.
Stone played a pivotal role in one of the game's of the season last week where Rovers held off a fast-finishing Albury to win by a point.
The Hawks dominated the first and third quarters, while the visitors blasted the home team in the second and final terms.
Interestingly, any wind didn't favour either side, which makes it difficult to explain the glut of goalkicking from one end.
Given the momentum swings, the vastly experienced Stone was quizzed if that's one of the best games he's played in the O and M, since debuting in 2015.
"100 per cent," he declared.
"It's one of the best wins I've played in. That one-point win is always a thriller and holding them off for so long in that last quarter was brilliant."
The win, potentially, saved the club's season or, at the very least, its top three chances.
IN OTHER NEWS:
With Wangaratta and Yarrawonga seemingly in control of top three finishes, an Albury win would have put the Tigers three wins ahead of the Hawks with only eight rounds left, which is almost impossible to make up.
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