BENDIGO Pioneers duo Oliver Poole and Dayten Uerata will play in this Saturday's opening round of the Young Guns Series.
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The two-game series pits the Young Guns against the Victoria Metro and Victoria Country under-18 teams over the next two weeks.
Poole and Uerata will be part of the Young Guns team that plays Victoria Metro at Werribee's Avalon Airport Oval from 4.20pm on Saturday.
The Young Guns side also includes former Bendigo Pioneer Oskar Smartt, who is now on Essendon's VFL list.
The Young Guns team features players eligible for selection in this year's AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft to be held on May 29.
The team has been selected from nominations submitted by AFL club recruiters, along with input from VFL clubs and Coates Talent League programs.
All players selected for the Young Guns are aged 19 or under as of January 1, 2024.
"The Young Guns Series is a great opportunity to play a couple of games against the better 18-year-olds in Victoria," Pioneers boys coach Danny O'Bree said on Thursday.
"Any opportunity in front of recruiters where the standard steps up is great and we wish them all the best."
Sandhurst's Uerata is this year captaining the Pioneers' under-18 boys, who have got off to a 3-0 start to the Coates Talent League season.
"Dayten has been sensational this year," O'Bree said.
"We have spoken this year about how much we have loved his transformation both as a person and a player and he is showing greater consistency.
We have spoken this year about how much we have loved his transformation both as a person and a player and he is showing greater consistency
- Bendigo Pioneers boys coach Danny O'Bree
"He is showing all that he can do in a game, whether that's in the front end, back end or through the midfield. Hopefully, he gets the chance to showcase his wears up forward through the Young Guns Series.
"Ollie missed our first game through suspension, but he is building really well and I think he is ready to have a standout game.
"Fingers crossed he can continue to improve on the form that he has been building into this weekend."
Smartt's selection for the Young Guns comes on the back of a stellar game for Essendon's VFL team when he kicked four goals and was named best for the Bombers in a 34-point loss to Footscray at Marvel Stadium last Friday.
"It's sensational for Oskar to get the opportunity this weekend and it's great to continue to watch him grow," O'Bree said.
Game two of the series will be on Sunday, April 28, when the Young Guns play Victoria Country at Windy Hill.
The Young Guns will be coached by Matt O'Connor.
