NSW Country football star to make history

For most people, representing your state in a sport once would be an achievement but for the Riverina’s Christen McPherson it’s become a habit. McPherson is about to become the first player ever to take part in six national country football championships when he captains the NSW squad at this week’s Landmark Australian Country Football Carnival in Canberra.

Hailing from Ganmain, a small town west of Wagga Wagga, McPherson first pulled on the NSW state country jumper in 1998, when at just 19 he said he didn’t really know what to expect playing at a national carnival.

“I was a bit fresh back then so it was all a new experience for me,” McPherson said.

“I certainly remember that the games were a lot quicker than local footy.”

McPherson, whose local club is Ganmain-Grong Grong Matong hasn’t lost a game all season, has played the majority of his football in NSW except for a brief stint in South Australia playing for Central District in the SANFL.

In an impressive representative career the 31-year-old has appeared in five national carnivals – Bendigo in 1998, Wagga in 2000, Berri in 2002, Gold Coast in 2006 and Shepparton in 2008 – but it’s the national title in 2002 that McPherson remembers most fondly.

“Winning in Berri was a really good experience, probably the most memorable for me from all the carnivals I’ve been to,” he said.

“We had a pretty handy side, everyone got on really well and I think it was that mateship that got us across the line in the end.”

This year’s team will be hoping to gel in a similar way especially after a disappointing campaign at the 2008 carnival in Shepparton, Victoria.

“We didn’t win a game in Shepparton which was really disappointing,” McPherson said.

“I think we’ve got a better side than then and hopefully we’ll go pretty well this year. The new format will be pretty taxing on the body but it’s going to be a really even competition which I think will be really good.”

The NSW side features a number of key players who will be looking to bring home the trophy for the first time in eight years, including Shane Harvey, brother of North Melbourne’s Brent Harvey, who played 11 games with Essendon (2002-2003) and three games for the Kangaroos (2004).

Harvey will be joined by Jamie Vlatko a player with 109 games and 191 SANFL goals with Norwood (2005-2009) under his belt and Earl Shaw who was listed with the Sydney Swans in 2006.

The team will also feature three teenagers who will bring a lot of enthusiasm to the group including Josh Hamilton (Lavington), Kieran Emery (North Shore) and Daniel Spiteri (East Coast Eagles).

“Vic country are always very strong and then there’s the ACT side that do very well but you’ve also got WA and SA who are both pretty solid,” McPherson said.

“In this carnival we’ll have the chance to play all the sides in one division so at the end of the day we’ll all know where we’re up to.”

For the first time, McPherson will lead the NSW side as captain, something he said he’ll really enjoy in what will be his last Landmark Australian Country Football Carnival.

“It’s a real privilege to be named as captain,” he said.

“For me having the chance to play in six carnivals has been a great opportunity to play footy at a higher level. You get the chance to learn a few different things and take them back to your home club and show the boys there as well.

“It’s been great to find new friends through footy and it’s definitely one of the things that keeps you wanting to play at the carnival.

“As this will be my last carnival I just want to go out there and try and play good footy and enjoy myself.”

The Landmark Australian Country Football Carnival will take place in Canberra from Thursday 22nd to Sunday 25th July.