NEAFL Round 12 preview

Sydney University has been rewarded for an impressive last month with five players selected in the NEAFL Eastern Representative team for their upcoming clash against Tasmania.

Tom Ayton, Matthew Clarke, Ryan Bottin-Noonan, Timothy Barton and Adam Campbell will all line-up at Skoda Stadium on Saturday morning.

Wins in the last month against Labrador, Ainslie and Tuggeranong as well as a close loss against Eastlake has seen the club move off the bottom of the table and into finals contention after a slow start to the season.

It is a reward for a club in form but it is also a coup for a club which is in just its second year of playing at this level.

“Despite their spot on the ladder, the Uni have been playing really well,” said Eastern Representative coach Guy Cannon on neafl.com.au.

“Players like Tim Barton and Ryan Bottin-Noonan have really stood out to us for not only having speed around the contest but having the ability to use the ball in a disciplined and effective way.”

Cannon, a former Eastlake Premiership Captain/Coach, was recently named the NEAFL Eastern Representative coach for 2013.

Cannon is currently the senior assistant coach at Eastlake and recently was coach of the NSW/ACT RAMS under 16s and 18s.

Tasmania held their final training session at Blundstone Arena in Hobart on Thursday before flying to Sydney for Saturday’s match.

Brady Jones from Clarence Football Club was recently given the honour of captaining Tasmania this weekend.

Saturday’s match at Skoda Stadium is part of the AFL’s National State League Representative Program which was introduced in 2012.

The program sees all state leagues participating, with the Eastern Conference due to play a category one state league (VFL/WAFL/SANFL) every third year.

The match will serve as a curtain raiser to the GWS GIANTS vs. Geelong Cats AFL clash in the afternoon with the first bounce at 10.05am and the GIANTS match to get underway at 1.40pm.

All non-AFL affiliated NEAFL clubs will have a bye this weekend, with the Sydney Swans reserves to play on the Gold Coast and UWS GIANTS in Darwin playing the NT Thunder.

Squads:

NEAFL Eastern

Ainslie: 　Aaron Vandenberg, Jonathan Gourlay, Josh Bennett

Belconnen: 　James Bennett, Simon Curtis, 　Andrew Dess, 　Matthew Lokan

Eastlake: 　Matthew O’Dwyer, John Van Meurs

Sydney Hills Eagles: Trent Stubbs, Scott Reed, Luke Gemmill, Damien Bonney

Queanbeyan: 　Sam Jensen, Kaine Stevens, Steven Joliffe, William Griggs

Sydney University: Tom Ayton, Matthew Clarke, Ryan Bottin-Noonan, Timothy Barton, Adam Campbell

Tuggeranong: Liam Greenwell

Tasmania

Burnie: Nick Walters, Harry Walters, Darren Banham, Rohan Baldock, Nick McKenna

Clarence: Jeromey Webberley, Jake Cox, Mathew Dury, Brady Jones

Glenorchy: Ben Reynolds, Brayden Webb, Jaye Bowden

Hobart: James Charlesworth

Lauderdale: Jim Dunham, Kaine Waller

Launceston: Sonny Whiting, Josh Woolley

North Launceston: Sam Carins

South Launceston: Jay Blackberry, Mitch Thorp, Jobi Harper, Mitch Hills, Bart McCulloch

Emergencies: Jack Siggins (Lauderdale), Taylor Whitford (North Launceston)