By Tara Murray
The Riddell District Football League has named its initial interleague squad for this year’s clash with the Southern Football Netball League.
The league has named a squad of just 30, with the final team to be announced in the lead up to the 2019 Worksafe Community Championships game on May 18.
Players from nine of the 11 clubs have been selected in the club, with Rupertswood having the highest number of players selected, with five.
The Sharks’ Todd Podolczak, who was named best on ground in last year’s interleague game, is one of those returning.
Brent Swallow, who was another standout in last year’s game against the Central Highlands Football League, joins him in the squad along with Sharks teammates Nash Egan, Dean Putt and Cam McRorie.
Romsey, Diggers Rest, Wallan and Macedon all have four players in the squad, with some new players in the league putting their hands up.
Mitchell Jensen, who kicked seven for Romsey against Woodend-Hesketon the weekend, has been named alongside former Northern Knights players Joel Naylor, with both having moved to Romsey in the off-season.
Interleague star Ayden Tessari and Jack O’Sullivan are the other Redbacks players named in the squad.
Luke Delahey and Alex Del Papa, who have come across from the Ballarat Football League, have been named in their first year with Diggers Rest.
Cam McCabe and Corey Wright have also been named. Wright was named best on ground in the league’s under-18 win in 2017 against the West Gippsland Football League.
VFL-listed Michael Tang and goal kicker Matt Perri headline the players named from Wallan.
Shaun Stewart, another of the standouts in last year’s win, and Andrew Saladino are the other two Wallan players named.
For the Cats, there’s a couple of new faces named.
Zach Smedley and Seb Miletic could get their opportunities after a strong couple of years.
Veteran ruckman Tom Waters has put his hand up again, while Jason Cooke is back in the interleague fold.
Others selected in the squad are, Broadford’s Rhys Gardener, Melton Centrals’ Dylan Weir and Michael Callus, Riddell trio Dylan Tarczon, Matt Panuccio and Ethan Foreman, and Woodend’s Daniel Toman, Alistair Rae and Trent Laverie.
Toman won the best on ground medal in the RDFL’s win in 2017 against West Gippsland.
Macedon coach Ben Tankard had previously been announced as coach of the side.
Woodend-Hesket coach Tom Carland and Macedon assistant coach Andrew Bubb will be his assistants.
The league also announced that the match would be held at Romsey Park for the first time since 2014, when the side lost to Alberton.
