Three Rural Bank Bendigo Pioneers players have been named in the Victoria Country squad for the AFL National Under-18 Championships.
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Golden Square duo Jye Caldwell and Zane Keighran and Echuca’s Brodie Kemp were selected in the final squad of 38 players for next month’s championships.
Caldwell and Kemp play limited games at TAC Cup level because of their school and football commitments with Geelong Grammar.
Caldwell is part of the elite AFL Academy squad and is considered a strong chance of hearing his name called in this year’s AFL National Draft.
The midfielder went to the USA with the AFL Academy in January and spent a week training with AFL club Carlton.
Kemp, who is a year younger than Caldwell and Keighran, is a member of the AFL level one academy for developing tall players.
The 193cm defender is not eligible for this year’s AFL national draft.
Keighran has made a solid start to the season with the Pioneers, playing predominantly through the midfield or across half-back.
The former Australian under-16 cricket representative played for Vic Country in a practice match against the Allies on Sunday.
The Allies overrun Vic Country in the final quarter to win by 27 points.
Dandenong Stingrays dominate the Vic Country squad with 12 players in the final squad, followed by Geelong Falcons with eight, Gippsland Power with seven, Murray Bushrangers with five and Bendigo Pioneers and GWV Rebels with three each.
Victoria Country squad to play in the national titles:
Bendigo Pioneers
Jye Caldwell
Zane Keighran
Brodie Kemp
Dandenong Stingrays
William Hamill
Toby Bedford
Jai Taylor
Zac Foot
Jake Frawley
Hayden Young
Mitchell Riordan
Sam Fletcher
Jai Nanscawen
Bailey Schmidt
Bailey Williams
Riley Bowman
Geelong Falcons
Samuel Walsh
Edward McHenry
Cooper Stephens
Oscar Brownless
Charlie Sprague
Dane Hollenkamp
Blake Schlensog
Connor Idun
Gippsland Power
Xavier Duursma
Irving Mosquito
Caleb Serong
Sam Flanders
Kyle Reid
Brock Smith
Matthew McGannon
GWV Rebels
Thomas Berry
Matty Lloyd
Scott Carlin
Murray Bushrangers
Laitham Vandermeer
Lachlan Ash
Mark Marriott
Zane Barzen
Hudson Garoni
Vic Country’s fixture for the national under-18 championships:
Round 1: v Allies, Saturday June 9, 1.10pm
Round 2: v South Australia, Sunday June 17, 11am, Thebarton Oval
Round 3: v Vic Metro, Saturday June 24, 12pm, MCG
Round 4: v Western Australia, Friday June 29, 4.40pm, GMHBA Stadium
