With the 2023 Young Guns series on the horizon, Vic Metro have released their squad to take on a side of Mid-Season AFL Draft hopefuls with more future AFL Draft prospects set to take the stage.

The series will feature both Vic Country and Vic Metro with both teams playing a game against the AFL Young Guns. This presents as an opportunity for the next generation of AFL talent to showcase their skills and ability.

The Young Guns side was selected from a pool of players that are eligible to be drafted in the 2023 AFL Mid-Season Draft, which will be held on Wednesday, May 31.

The Young Guns has been a proven successful pathway for emerging footballers with both the Eagles' Jai Culley and the Bombers' Massimo D'Ambrosio becoming heavily sought-after prospects in the 2022 Mid-season Draft.

This year the side will field popular prospect Ryan Maric. The Gippsland power forward has already been rumoured to be of interest to the Western Australian AFL teams, with the West Coast Eagles sitting in prime position at 18th on the ladder.

BENDIGO, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 16: Ryan Maric of Gippsland Power in action during the round four Coates Talent League Boys match between Bendigo Pioneers and Gippsland Power at Queen Elizabeth Oval on April 16, 2023 in Bendigo, Australia. (Photo by Graham Denholm/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

Maric will be joined by the likes of Luke Teal, Mitch Szybkowski and Jedd Longmire who have already put themselves in fine form in the VFL so far this season.

The Metro squad has also listed some notable potential draft talent, with Sandringham Dragons, Northern Knights and Calder Cannons heavily represented. Oakleigh Chargers defender Nathan Philactides will be a key element to the Metro side after gathering 29 disposals and five marks in two talent league games.

Philactides will play alongside other notable talent including fellow Charger Kynan Brown and Zak Johnson from the Northern Knights.

The Young Guns will again be led by Calder Cannons assistant coach Matt O'Connor, while Sandringham Dragons boys head coach Rob Harding will step in to coach the Vic Metro side.

The sides will meet at Trevor Barker Beach Oval on Sunday at 11:00am (AEST).

Below you can find the initial Squads for this week's match between Vic Metro and the Young Guns. The Victoria Country squad will be released next week ahead of their clash against the Young Guns.

Young Guns squad

# NAME SURNAME DOB HT STATE LEAGUE CLUB COMMUNITY CLUB
1 Beau Tedcastle 20-03-04 177 Richmond (VFL) St Mary's
2 Mitch Szybkowski 09-01-04 185 Frankston (VFL) Beaconsfield
3 Joziah Nannup 01-11-04 183 Dandenong Stingrays Doveton
4 Tom Bower 20-08-04 180 Oakleigh Chargers Glen Waverley Rovers
5 Paddy Cross 14-02-03 182 Casey Demons (VFL) Nar Nar Goon
6 Michael Kiraly 09-01-04 186 Bendigo Pioneers Macleod
8 Rye Penny 01-03-04 186 Calder Cannons Gisborne
9 Archie Sinnott 28-07-04 186 Geelong Falcons Newtown & Chilwell
10 Jedd Longmire 14-06-04 188 Collingwood (VFL) / Murray Bushrangers Bundoora
11 Nicholas Newton 13-05-04 187 Murray Bushrangers Lavington
12 Jack Cleaver 22-05-04 188 Essendon (VFL) St Bernards
13 Ethan Stanley 13-11-03 188 Box Hill Hawks (VFL) Frankston YCW
14 Luke Teal 20-05-04 190 Richmond (VFL) / Oakleigh Chargers Glen Iris
15 Tom Stern 23-06-04 191 Gippsland Power Warragul
18 Ryan Maric 06-09-04 193 Gippsland Power Drouin
20 Ziggy Toledo-
Glasman		 15-04-04 192 Dandenong Stingrays Mt Eliza
21 Mitch Dodos 03-11-04 196 Bendigo Pioneers Kyabram
22 Hamish Pierson 03-11-04 195 Geelong Falcons Grovedale Tigers
24 Jovan Petric 17-04-04 197 Western Jets Keilor
25 Archer May 27-08-04 199 Richmond (VFL) / Sandringham Dragons St Kilda City
26 Levi Young 15-01-04 199 Sandringham Dragons Beaumaris
28 William Elliot 11-06-04 203 Oakleigh Chargers Surrey Park
29 Clay Tucker 09-08-04 204 Eastern Ranges Rowville
30 Flynn Riley 05-04-04 206 Northern Knights Montmorency

 

Vic Metro squad

# NAME SURNAME DOB HT STATE LEAGUE CLUB COMMUNITY CLUB
1 Isaac Kako 07-03-06 175 Calder Cannons Pascoe Vale
2 Taj Hotton 17-06-06 177 Sandringham Dragons Hampton Rovers
3 Tarkyn O'Leary 01-07-05 178 Sandringham Dragons Parkdale Vultures
4 Josh Docking 14-10-05 178 Sandringham Dragons Hampton Rovers
5 Caleb Windsor 09-07-05 183 Eastern Ranges Lysterfield
6 Kynan Brown 13-01-05 180 Oakleigh Chargers Blackburn
7 Mahmoud Taha 04-11-05 182 Calder Cannons Pascoe Vale
8 Nathan Philactides 10-01-05 180 Oakleigh Chargers Blackburn
9 Cameron Nyko 25-11-05 180 Eastern Ranges Healesville
10 Zak Johnson 24-12-06 185 Northern Knights St Mary's
11 Harvey Johnston 18-08-05 184 Sandringham Dragons Parkdale Vultures
12 Archie Roberts 18-11-05 183 Sandringham Dragons Hampton Rovers
14 Lucca Grego 15-09-06 183 Western Jets Bacchus Marsh
15 Charlton Harrop 13-07-05 186 Sandringham Dragons Beaumaris
16 Jake Smith 24-07-05 188 Western Jets Williamstown CYMS
17 Ryan Eyre 19-03-05 191 Calder Cannons Kilmore
18 Cooper Trembath 17-10-05 192 Eastern Ranges Park Orchards
19 William Brown 16-06-05 193 Sandringham Dragons East Brighton
20 Calsher Dear 04-08-05 194 Sandringham Dragons Beaumaris
22 Remy Maclean 14-10-05 194 Eastern Ranges East Ringwood
23 Christian Mardini 18-06-05 197 Northern Knights Bundoora
24 Jordan Croft 12-05-05 200 Calder Cannons Maribyrnong Park
26 Riley Weatherill 21-11-05 195 Eastern Ranges East Ringwood
27 William Green 08-09-05 202 Northern Knights Northcote