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COACH Wayne Mitrovic is confident he has the right blend of youth and experience and talls and smalls to lead Loddon Valley to a second-straight inter-league win on Saturday.
Loddon Valley has an away game against Horsham District at Horsham's City Oval in the 27 v 28 match-up in the AFL Victoria Community Championships.
Following a two-year hiatus, Loddon Valley returned to inter-league action last year with a 44-point win over Golden Rivers.
In his first season as coach, Mitrovic is determined to build on the momentum of last year's win with another strong showing on Saturday.
"My main focus was to have a really balanced side, so I've tried to pick players for their positions, rather than trying to shuffle around four or five centre half-backs," Mitrovic said on Thursday night.
"I think we've got really good balance with our ability to get it done in the air and at ground level, as well as run and strength... we tried to incorporate all that to get a good even spread. We also wanted to promote youth and we think we've done that with about seven guys who are 20 or younger."
Among the younger players in the team given a chance to step up and represent the league are full-back Max Simpson, fellow defenders Joe Mayes and Alex Pearson, wingmen Peter Rothacker and Nick Waterson, Harry Gadsden, ruckman Nathan Twigg and forward pocket Bailey George.
"And then we've got guys like Tyrone Downie, Darren Clutton, Jarryd Wiegard, Lachlan Woodward, Jake Hall and Justin Hynes who are all quite experienced," Mitrovic said.
Downie will captain the team and is one of 17 players representing the league for the first time.
Loddon Valley last met Horsham District in an inter-league match in 2013. Horsham District won that clash by 30 points.
Meanwhile, Jarrod Findlay has been given the captaincy of the Heathcote District league team that will travel to Mildura to take on Sunraysia.
Just like Bendigo and Loddon Valley, Heathcote District is made up primarily of first-time representative players for the league, but goalkicking midfielder Findlay is an experienced campaigner at the next level.
Saturday's encounter will be Findlay's fifth time representing the Heathcote District league, which is aiming to snap a three-game losing streak.
Heathcote District's final team of 22 includes White Hills coach Sam Kerridge, who had been under an elbow injury cloud.
While Kerridge is in the side, Heathcote District has forwards Ben Weightman and Mitch Dole as withdrawals from Saturday's team.
* AFLCV COMMUINITY CHAMPIONSHIPS MATCHES:
Bendigo v Outer East
Saturday at QEO
Rankings:
Outer East - 9th
Bendigo - 10th
.............................................
Last year:
Bendigo - 10.13 (73) lt Hampden 11.16 (82).
Outer East - newly-formed league this year.
HEATHCOTE DISTRICT v SUNRAYSIA
Saturday at Sarah Oval, Mildura
Rankings:
Sunraysia - 17th
Heathcote District - 18th
.............................................
Last year:
Heathcote District - 10.8 (68) lt Geelong District 10.17 (77).
Sunraysia - 8.7 (55) lt Central Murray 14.12 (96).
NORTH CENTRAL v CENTRAL HIGHLANDS
Saturday at Learmonth Recreation Reserve
Rankings:
North Central - 21st
Central Highlands - 22nd
.............................................
Last year:
North Central - 12.3 (75) lt Southern 13.6 (84).
Central Highlands - 9.10 (64) lt Riddell 9.13 (67).
LODDON VALLEY v HORSHAM DISTRICT
Saturday at City Oval, Horsham
Rankings:
Horsham District - 27th
Loddon Valley - 28th
.............................................
Last year:
Loddon Valley - 14.13 (97) d Golden Rivers 7.11 (53).
Horsham District - 4.7 (31) lt Ellinbank District 14.7 (91).
FULL RANKINGS
1 - Northern
2 - Geelong
3 - Ovens and Murray
4 - Mornington Peninsula
5 - Goulburn Valley
6 - Western Region
7 - Hampden
8 - Ballarat
9 - Outer East
10 - Bendigo
11 - Gippsland
12 - Central Murray
13 - Murray
14 - Wimmera
15 - Bellarine
16 - Geelong District
17 - Sunraysia
18 - Heathcote District
19 - Southern
20 - Riddell
21 - North Central
22 - Central Highlands
23 - West Gippsland
24 - Ellinbank District
25 - Maryborough-
Castlemaine District
26 - Colac District
27 - Horsham District
28 - Loddon Valley
29 - Kyabram District
30 - Golden Rivers
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