Eight of the Bendigo Pioneers most talented players will take part in two representative matches this weekend.
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Sandhurst's Archer Day-Wicks and Moama's Jobe Shanahan will play for the AFL Academy against VFL club Footscray on Sunday.
Day-Wicks will play his first game of the season after recovering from a quadricep injury.
Sandhurst's Tobie Travaglia, Kangaroo Flat's Connor Evans, South Bendigo's Zaydyn Lockwood and Leitchville-Gunbower's James Barrat have been included in a Victoria Country under-18 squad to play against the Young Guns at Craigieburn's Highgate Recreation Reserve on Sunday.
Sandhurst's Dayten Uerata and Echuca United's Oliver Poole have been selected to play in the Young Guns team.
The Victoria Country team also includes Sandhurst midfielder Ollie Hannaford, who plays Talent League footy for Greater Western Victoria Rebels.
The game is a trial match for Victoria Country ahead of the national under-18 championships.
The Young Guns side comprises many of Victoria's top prospects available to be selected in the 2024 AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft, which will be held on Wednesday, May 29.
The team is 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 team features prospects who compete in the VFL or as overage players in the Coates Talent League Boys competition.
PIONEERS GIRLS EYE THIRD-STRAIGHT WIN
The Bendigo Pioneers host the Murray Bushrangers at the QEO on Sunday in round four of the Coates Talent League Girls.
The Pioneers have made a club-best 2-0 start to the 2024 season and they go into Sunday's game as a warm favourite.
No Pioneers' player has touched the footy more than Lucia Painter through the opening two games.
The hard-working midfielder had a remarkable game against the Western Jets last round.
Painter finished with 30 possessions, 13 tackles, six marks and one goal in a best on ground performance.
Gabby Drage is also in good form for the Pioneers. The teenager kicked three goals from 13 possessions in the win over the Jets.
Sunday's game at the QEO starts at noon.
