Eaglehawk duo Gedd Hommelhoff and Jonty Neaves have been included in the Bendigo Football Netball League training squad.
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Midfielder Hommelhoff and ruckman Neaves were rewarded for their great form over the first month of the season and are in the mix to play against Hampden at Warrnambool on May 19.
“Gedd just kept putting his hand up with his terrific form,’’ BFNL coach Brett Fitzpatrick said of Hommelhoff.
“He’s an exciting player, he wins his own ball and he keeps getting better.
“In the end we just couldn’t ignore him any longer.”
A broken nose and fractured cheekbone has put an end to the inter-league campaign of Sandhurst big man Matt Thornton, while Eaglehawk coach Josh Bowe and Maryborough midfielder Coby Perry are also out of the squad because of injury concerns.
Sandhurst forward Daniel Connors is unavailable because of work commitments.
The loss of Thornton and to a lesser degree Connors helped Neaves’ cause.
“Jonty gives us more flexibility in the big man department,’’ Fitzpatrick said.
“He could play as that mobile ruckman or he could play in a key position.”
The BFNL squad trains for the first time at Castlemaine on Wednesday night.
Meanwhile, Hampden has its own injury concerns with North Warrnambool’s Jarryd Lewis (finger) ruled out and Port Fairy playing coach Dan Nicholson (sprained foot) in doubt for the big game.
Hampden, coached by AFL great Jonathan Brown, is ranked ninth in the AFL Victoria Community Championships – one place ahead of Bendigo.
The winner of the May 19 clash will advance to next year’s seventh versus eighth play-off against the loser of the Ovens and Murray versus Western Region Football League game.
The loser will drop to the 11th versus 12th play-off against the winner of the Murray versus Gippsland match.
AFL Victoria Community Championships fixture:
Geelong FNL v Eastern FL
MPNFL v Northern FL
Ovens & Murray FL v Western RFL
Ballarat FNL v Goulburn Valley
Hampden FNL v Bendigo FNL
AFL Yarra Ranges v South East FNL
Murray FL v Gippsland
Bellarine FNL v Wimmera FNL
Central Murray FNL v Sunraysia FNL
Geelong DFL v Heathcote DFL
Southern FNL v North Central FL
Riddell DFNL v Central Highlands
MCDFNL v West Gippsland FNL
Horsham DFNL v Warrnambool DFNL
Kyabram DFNL v Colac DFNL
Golden Rivers FL v Loddon Valley DFL
Ellinbank DFL v Alberton DFL