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READ MORE - BENDIGO ADDY FOOTY CHALLENGE - Week two scores
THE Bendigo Football-Netball League's senior inter-league training squad of 58 includes five former AFL players.
Castlemaine's Angus Monfries (Essendon and Port Adelaide), the Gisborne trio of coach Clinton Young (Collingwood and Hawthorn), Matt Goodyear (Collingwood) and Pat McKenna (GWS Giants and Melbourne) and Sandhurst's Andrew Collins (Richmond and Carlton) are all former AFL-listed players who have been included in the training squad.
The squad, being coached by Darryl Wilson, begins its preparations for the May 18 AFL Victoria Community Championships match against Outer East with its first training run at Castlemaine on Wednesday night.
All 10 clubs are represented in the squad led by Strathfieldsaye with nine players, although one of them, Jake Moorhead, will be unavailable due to a knee injury.
"The next couple of weeks will tell the tale on the injury front for us in terms of the squad... we know we will have some players who have to pull out, but we think we've got a squad with enough depth to cover whatever happens," Wilson said.
The league has already announced reigning Michelsen medallist and star midfielder Jack Geary as captain of the side, with Golden Square team-mate Baird and Collins his pair of vice-captains.
Geary, Baird and Collins were all Victoria Country representatives last year.
The training list also includes a "Futures Squad" featuring one nominated player by each club.
"What we've done with the Futures Squad is a bit similar to what Geelong has done. We felt after talking to the coaches that it's good to have one eye to the future and give them some experience," Wilson said.
"They haven't been discounted from the team and if their form warrants, elevation to the full squad may translate.
"If we're going to make this work as a league we always have to keep looking to the future."
Meanwhile, Wilson said he was rapt to get a commitment from the five former AFL players in the squad.
"I have spoken to all of the boys and they have all been fantastic," Wilson said.
"Fingers crossed they all get through the next few weeks without any concerns."
The squad has the makings of a forward line with plenty of firepower given the inclusion alongside McKenna and Monfries of Strathfieldsaye's Lachan Sharp, South Bendigo's Kaiden Antonowicz, who have shared the past two Ron Best medals, and Golden Square's Jayden Burke.
As well as a strong training squad selected, Wilson has also put together an experienced coaching panel that features Rick Ladson, Stephen Milne, Simon Rosa and Damian Slater.
Bendigo will take on Outer East at the QEO, with the Blue and Gold's opponent a brand new league that is a combination of the former Yarra Ranges and South East leagues.
The inter-league squad will hold further training sessions at Golden Square (April 30), Castlemaine (May 8) and QEO (May 14 and 16).
"The squad has been brought together with the help of both club spotters, inter-league coaches and assistant coaches and has a great spread of both experience and youth," Wilson said.
Bendigo has lost its past two inter-league matches.
READ MORE - Jack Geary to captain BFNL at inter-league level
* BFL inter-league squad:
Castlemaine (5) - Angus Monfries, Jordan Matera, Jake O'Brien, Dylan Atkins, Will Moran (Futures).
Eaglehawk (8) - Brodie Collins, Ben McPhee, Clayton Holmes, Jesse Collins, Tyler Miles, Gedd Hommelhoff, Jack Fallon, Riley Saunders (Futures).
Gisborne (6) - Clinton Young, Matt Goodyear, Pat McKenna, Trent Crosbie, Jack Scanlon, Brad Bernacki (Futures).
Golden Square (8) - Jack Geary, Adam Baird, Jayden Burke, Jake Thrum, Liam Barrett, Alex Marklew, Jon Coe, Jordan Rosengren (Futures).
Kangaroo Flat (4) - Jonathan Lanyon, Matt Clifford, Nick Lang, Liam Collins (Futures).
Kyneton (5) - Rhys Magin, Max O'Sullivan, Patrick McCarthy, Josh Govan, Leyton Chisholm (Futures).
Maryborough (3) - Coby Perry, Matt Bilton, Connor O'Shea (Futures).
Sandhurst (5) - Andy Collins, Zac Pallpratt, Jake Pallpratt, Josh Hann, Will Holt (Futures).
South Bendigo (5) - Kaiden Antonowicz, Callum Crisp, Brody Haddow, Nathan Horbury, Tom Brereton (South Bendigo).
Strathfieldsaye (9) - Harry Crone, Jake Moorhead, Lachlan Sharp, Bryce Curnow, Hugh Robertson, Josh Formosa, Harry Conway, Sam Heavyside, Bailey Henderson (Futures).
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