By AFLQ Media
AFL Queensland today announced the preliminary squads for the annual intrastate clash between North Queensland and South Queensland.
This year’s game will be held in Townsville as a twilight curtain closer to the city’s historic first ever AFL home and away match between the Gold Coast SUNS and St Kilda Saints at Riverway Stadium on Saturday June 15th.
Both squads boast a plethora of highly credentialed players, none more so than North Queensland with former AFL players Aaron Davey (Melbourne), Eddie Sansbury (North Melbourne) and Brett Meredith (Sydney) bringing a wealth of experience to the their squad. Their southern counterparts have numerous players with NEAFL experience including former Redland player and reigning Hart Sport Cup Division 1 Best and Fairest winner, Rowan Page, joined by former Southport players, Ben Merrett and Isaac Franks.
AFL Queensland State Manager- Senior Football Operations, Barry Gibson, said the announcement of preliminary squads was a great way to recognise those players who are performing well, whilst also highlighting the depth of talent across the state outside the NEAFL and QAFL competitions.
“This representative program is incredibly popular with the players across the state, so for them to be recognised for their performances to date and know they are under consideration for selection is a real positive for not only them, but for their clubs and the competitions they play in,” Gibson said.
“The names of those in the squads clearly provides a great insight into the quality of players we have playing across our various competitions throughout Queensland.
“The opportunity for players to be part of a day that includes an AFL game is an experience they relish and no doubt that adds to the popularity of the program.”
The South Queensland squad has been selected from players competing in QFA Divisions 1 through to 5 along with the QFA Northern Rivers, AFL Darling Downs and AFL Wide Bay competitions. They will be coached by former Brisbane Lions and St Kilda player, Danny Craven.
Heading into his fourth year as coach, Craven said this years’ squad features a lot of new players.
“We have had a reasonable core group for the past three years, however that’s changed this year as it’s a very new looking squad, which is good in the sense of exposing more players to the program,” Craven said.
“It’s always a challenge trying to land on the final team, but we are pretty confident from the squad we have selected we will be able to select a team that will give us every chance to make it four wins in a row.
Returning for his third term in charge, North Queensland coach Brad Cooper said the selection process is always challenging due to the tyranny of distance between leagues, but he is relatively confident they have assembled a quality squad.
“It’s always challenging from an ID perspective when we are selecting players between Gladstone and Cairns, but the selectors in each region have a great feel for their players, so I’m pretty comfortable that we have a squad that will allow us to select a team that can give us every chance of squaring the ledger with SQ”, Cooper said.
North Queensland Squad
Lachlan O’Dwyer (Thuringowa)
Jayden Freitas (Thuringowa)
Charlie Gaudion (Thuringowa)
John Nolan (Thuringowa)
Declan Wode (Hermit Park)
Jason Di Betta (Hermit Park)
Beau Smith (Hermit Park)
Matthew Steiner (Hermit Park)
Jack Gusmeroli (Curra Swans)
Damien Dewis (South Cairns)
James Dixon (South Cairns)
Steven Stow (South Cairns)
Jermaine Wardle (South Cairns)
Isaac Ketchen (South Cairns)
Liam Woodcock-Nowlan (Cairns City Lions)
Aaron Davey (Cairns City Lions)
Edward Sansbury (Cairns City Lions)
Daniel Mooka (Cairns City Lions)
Tyron Rainbird (Cairns City Lions)
Corey Flint (Manunda)
Ezekiel Frank (Manunda)
Tyler Gorogo (Manunda)
Chris Novy (Manunda)
Jack Philp (Cairns Saints)
Cade Wellington (Cairns Saints)
Rhys Bridge (Cairns Saints)
Mark Horne (Cairns Saints)
Joseph Kearsley (Cairns Saints)
Josh Wilson (Port Douglas)
Wesley Glass (Port Douglas)
Brett Meredith (Port Douglas)
Joshua Mawson (Port Douglas)
Adam Gross (Port Douglas)
Brett McKeown (Port Douglas)
Kye Chapple (Port Douglas)
Wayne Pavitt (Port Douglas)
Daniel Moore (Port Douglas)
Ashley Davidson (Port Douglas)
Dylan McCutcheon (Eastern Swans)
Cameron Hill (North Mackay)
Steven Pugh (North Mackay)
Liam Lablache (Northern Beaches Suns)
Aaron Thompson (Whitsunday)
Jarrod Watling (Mackay Magpies)
Nathan Peters (Mackay Magpies)
Connor Smith (Mackay Magpies)
Jamie Garner (Yeppoon)
Thomas Cossens (Yeppoon)
Leigh Cossens (Yeppoon)
Alex Chapman (Yeppoon)
Danny Conway (B.I.T.S)
Trent Millar (B.I.T.S)
Jaxson Pringle (Rockhampton Panthers)
Matthew Jones (Brothers Kangaroos)
South Queensland Squad
Lachlan McKean (Alex Hills)
Nick Jackson (Aspley)
Joshua Wheeler (Bay Power)
Marcus Dyson (Bay Power)
Matt Schlein (Bay Power)
Callum Eddy (Beenleigh)
Benjamin Merrett (Bond Uni)
Olly Smart (Bond Uni)
Rhys King (Bond Uni)
Calhan McQueen (Burleigh)
Jasper Schoenmaker (Burleigh)
Adam Short (Byron Bay)
Declan Bevan (Byron Bay)
Joshua Keleher (Caloundra)
Trent Flanders (Caloundra)
Isaac Franks (Coolangatta)
Travis Thone-Kain (Coomera)
Jack Lake (Coorparoo)
Charles Youngman (Goondiwindi)
Joel Perry-Warren (Gympie)
Zach Templeton (Kenmore)
Jack Brown (Kenmore)
Jake Warren (Maroochydore)
Josh Filo (Maroochydore)
Mitchell Scholard (Maroochydore)
Tyle Williams (Maroochydore)
Lochie Laing (Maroochydore)
Dean Hartley (Mayne)
Jack Collings (Mayne)
Kelly Castle (Moreton Bay)
Rhys Nickalls (Moreton Bay)
Connor McDonald (Noosa)
Isaac McRimmon (Noosa)
Jai Fitzpatrick (Noosa)
Jayden Holt (Noosa)
Ryley Buntain (Noosa)
Tyler Stack (Noosa)
Wil O’Dwyer (Noosa)
Aden Rutledge (Park Ridge)
Joel Stevenson (Robina)
Coen Slatter (South Toowoomba)
Johnathan Leidig (South Toowoomba)
Jordan Bain (Springwood)
Matthew Preston-Smith (Springwood)
Rohan Page (Springwood)
Rhan Hooper (Springwood)
Jacob Hawksworth (University Cougars)
Nathan Quick (UQ)
Thye Clarkson (Warwick)
Match Day Information
Riverway Stadium, Townsville
Saturday June 15
AFL Premiership Round 13
Gold Coast SUNS v St Kilda
1.45pm AEST
North Queensland v South Queensland Representative Match
4.30pm AEST
