Eight Northern Knights players and six Sandringham Dragons headline Vic Metro's squad for the first game of the Under-18s National Championships.
Vic Metro, viewed as the strongest squad at the carnival, will take on Western Australia in Perth on Saturday at 12.20pm AEST. Western Australia is riding the momentum of an upset win over South Australia to start the carnival last weekend.
Anthony Rocca's Knights have been rewarded for a strong start to the season with AFL Academy trio Lewis Houndsome, Tate Hodgson and Harry Van Hattum joined by running machine Toby Krasna, Kai Parker, forwards Harrison Leeder, Harvie Cooke and Sam Gayfer.
Van Hattum will be playing his first game in a month having nursed a minor leg injury.
Cooke is coming off a strong trial game where he kicked three last quarter goals to seal a win over Vic Country.
Leeder's rise is particularly noteworthy. His selection comes after kicking multiple goals in all six of his Knights games so far this year, his first at Talent League level. The hit-up forward was not even able to crack into Parade's firsts side last year but his belnd of athleticism and forward craft have been behind a quick rise.
Sandringham has top 10 prospects Arki Butler and Gus Teixeira in action, as well as Tyson Bradley, George Dimer, Lochie Burrows and Albert MacGowan.
Dragons utility Burrows will enter the game brimming with confidence after a standout trial match.
Playing in defence for the first time in his career, Burrows was arguably the best player on the ground with his drive.
“He's been a forward and mid for us and we love him in those roles,” Sandringham coach Rob Harding told Zero Hanger.
“Off half-back, you saw the clean hands, the aggressiveness, the creativity and run and carry, he does that as a midfielder and a forward and hits the scoreboard. I can't wait to see a bit more of it.
“When I heard he'd be in defence, I thought it was good that he would be in the game and have an opportunity. He's one of those kids, you could stick him on a wing and he'd find a way to make it work as well. He's a natural footballer.”
Burrows has played a lone hand in a struggling Wesley College side at school level and shown glimpses for Sandringham this season.
MacGowan has established himself as a potential top 30 prospect with his composure and decision-making standing out at Talent League level and more recently St Kevin's College.
He averages 29 disposals and four tackles for the Dragons and has proven his ability to play as both an inside and outside midfielder.
“I see him starting as a wingman at AFL level - I compare him a little bit to Harvey Langford," Harding said.
"Albert's a better runner than Harvey, respectfully, whereas Harvey a bigger-bodied contest player but you see what Harvey is doing on the wing at the moment and coming out of Under-18s, I wouldn't have picked that, I thought he was purely an inside mid.
"Albert's got the running power, height and ball-use to be a winger and he just finds the ball because he gets to the right places at the right times and he's a neat user. I think there's scope for him to be a winger to start his career and inside mid in time.
"He does have a touch of the Scott Pendlebury composure without putting too high a comparison on it. I'd love to see him keep exploring that at the next level but I think wing's going to be a good starting point for him."
Dimer has rocketed firmly into draft calculations after strong form so far at Talent League and school level.
A hard-working high forward, his pre-season was limited by stress fractures, but he has not missed a beat, captaining Haileybury with conviction in the midfield and showing his capability in attack for Sandringham.
“He'd be right up there," Harding said when asked if Dimer was the cleanest player he's coached in his four years at Sandringham.
"He played a lot of footy as a high half forward last year and he's ultra clean at ground level. With George, at Under-18s and school level, he can go through the midfield but he's going to be a half forward at AFL level and he's going to be a really good one so we'll lean into that.
"His clean hands, creativity, vision and work rate are really impressive. I'm at him at times about being too selfless because he just wants to make others better and wants to win all the time so he's got a great energy."
Brighton Grammar skipper Arki Butler will enter off the back of a legacy game for his school, kicking 8.7.
The top five prospect will be one of the most closely watched players at the carnival, alongside Teixeira who was arguably behind only Burrows as best afield in the trial match.
North Melbourne father-son prospect Sam Harris is the only club-tied prospect in the lineup. Essendon-tied squad member Blake Justice has unsurprisingly been overlooked for the first game, only returning to the field for the first time this year last week.
Jett Flower, the grandson of Melbourne great Robbie Flower will likely play off half-back. Flower and gun Western Jets forward Jake Miller are the only bottom-agers in the lineup.
AFL Academy member Harry Chapman returns after missing the trial match a fortnight ago with minor hamstring soreness.
Eastern Ranges coach Lauren Morecroft will coach the side.
Team
1 - George Dimer (Sandringham Dragons)
3 - Harvie Cooke (Northern Knights)
6 - Jordan Knapp (Eastern Ranges)
7 - Toby Krasna (Northern Knights)
8 - Sam Harris (Calder Cannons)
9 - Gus Teixeira (Sandringham Dragons)
12 - Archie Spencer (Eastern Ranges)
13 - Lochie Burrows (Western Jets)
15 - Jett Flower (Eastern Ranges)
16 - Lachie Hicks (Western Jets)
17 - Arki Butler (Sandringham Dragons)
18 - Albert MacGowan (Sandringham Dragons)
19 - Kai Parker (Northern Knights)
20 - Billy Wigmore (Western Jets)
24 - Harry Chapman (Eastern Ranges)
27 - Harrison Leeder (Northern Knights)
28 - Sam Gayfer (Northern Knights)
29 - Angus Tippett (Western Jets)
32 - Jake Miller (Western Jets)
33 - Tyson Bradley (Sandringham Dragons)
34 - Lewis Houndsome (Northern Knights)
35 - Tate Hodgson (Northern Knights)
36 - Harry Van Hattum
Predicted lineup
FB: Jett Flower, Tyson Bradley, Billy Wigmore
HB: Lochie Burrows, Tate Hodgson, Jordan Knapp
C: Albert MacGowan, Archie Spencer, Harrison Chapman
HF: George Dimer, Harrison Leeder, Lachie Hicks
FF: Harvie Cooke, Jake Miller, Sam Gayfer
R: Harry Van Hattum, Arki Butler, Gus Teixeira,
IC: Sam Harris, Lewis Houndsome, Toby Krasna, Max Downes, Angus Tippett
