Senior Representative Previews – South Coast
Senior Representative Football returns this weekend as AFL South Coast Men’s and Women’s head north to Newcastle to take on AFL Hunter Central Coast.
Both games will be played at Pasterfield Sports Complex in Cameron Park with the Women at 3pm and Men at 5pm.
Both matches will be streamed live for those who cant get to Newcastle through the AFL Hunter Central Coast – Seniors Facebook page.
Congratulations to the players and officials form both teams and good luck tomorrow!
Women’s Preview
This Saturday is a historic moment for AFL South Coast as the league plays its first ever Women representative game when they take on the strong AFL Hunter Central Coast league in Newcastle.
In only the second year of a Womens competition in the region, Co-Coaches Geoff Gibbs and Ben Hyndes are confident their team will put up a great display against what will be no doubt be a very strong side from the AFL HCC.
Leading the players will be Wollongong Lions’ Jordan van de Voorde who has the honour of being the inaugural AFL South Coast Womens Captain. Jordan will be ably assisted by Jessica Thomas from the Bomaderry Tigers as Vice-Captain.
Bomaderry Tigers young gun Sophie Phillips will be one to watch after spending last weekend playing with the U18 NSW/ACT Rams up in Coffs Harbour. Phillips took all before her in 2018 being crowned the inaugural Maddy Collier Medallist for the Leagues Best and Fairest player along with her Best on Ground performance in the Tigers premiership and has taken her game to another level this year. Shellharbour sharp shooter Shellee Gibson and Lions key forward Jacqueline Wilson will provide the AFL South Coast Women with great targets up forward with both having kicked bags of goals already this season.
Down back the side will be looking for direction from van de Voorde and Romy Bradmore from the Wollongong Bulldogs who have both been in great form all year.
In the centre keep an eye out for the Wollongong Lions ruck Mikaela Allen as she looks to give first use of the ball to the dynamic runners in Emma Dowse and Bridget Kellett from Bomaderry.
After having over 50 players express interest in representing the AFL South Coast Women, coaches Gibbs & Hyndes are pleased with their final squad which boasts plenty of run and enthusiasm and are excited about the opportunity.
Final Team
| No. | Name | Club |
| 1 | Kimberly Chan | Wollongong Saints |
| 2 | Mikayla Sheahan | Wollongong Bulldogs |
| 3 | Emma Dowse | Bomaderry Tigers |
| 4 | Rani Sossai | Wollongong Lions |
| 5 | Nellie Hicks | Kiama Power |
| 6 | Samantha Weir | Bomaderry Tigers |
| 7 | Bridgett Kellett | Bomaderry Tigers |
| 8 | Millie Somes | Wollongong Bulldogs |
| 9 | Kathryn Gaskin | Wollongong Bulldogs |
| 10 | Kelsey Hogan | Wollongong Bulldogs |
| 11 | Mikaela Allen | Wollongong Lions |
| 12 | Nicola Smyth | Dapto City Unicorns |
| 13 | Lauren Myers | Wollongong Lions |
| 14 | Cassie O’Leary | Kiama Power |
| 15 | Romy Bradmore | Wollongong Bulldogs |
| 16 | Sophie Phillips | Bomaderry Tigers |
| 17 | Shellee Gibson | Shellharbour City Suns |
| 18 | Jess Thomas | Bomaderry Tigers |
| 19 | Jess Liddiard | Bomaderry Tigers |
| 20 | Jordan van de Voorde | Wollongong Lions |
| 24 | Jacqueline Wilson | Wollongong Lions |
Coaches: Geoff Gibbs and Ben Hydnes
Team Manager: Sue Hilton
Men’s Preview
2019 saw a new format implemented in the selection of the AFL South Coast Men’s Representative side compared to previous years. The starting point for the squad was the naming of the players selected in the 2018 AFL South Coast Team of the Year which was then added to with those players who have stood out in the early part of the 2019 season. This list of near 40 players were then put through their paces in a series of training sessions since the start of May culminating in the selection of the 2019 AFL South Coast Men’s Representative Team as below:
| No. | Name | Club |
| 1 | Matt Price | Kiama Power |
| 2 | Will Cook | Wollongong Lions |
| 4 | Ben Ryan | Figtree Kangaroos |
| 5 | Nick Baggio | Kiama Power |
| 6 | Jacob Hennessy | Figtree Kangaroos |
| 7 | Jack Mahony | Kiama Power |
| 9 | Ben Rawson | Kiama Power |
| 10 | Ben Hoctor | Kiama Power |
| 11 | Jack Boxsell | Bomaderry Tigers |
| 12 | Ricky Neels | Kiama Power |
| 13 | Kieran Churchill | Figtree Kangaroos |
| 15 | Ben Williams | Kiama Power |
| 16 | Lachlan Kirk | Kiama Power |
| 17 | Josh Simpson | Kiama Power |
| 19 | Sam Wilson | Wollongong Lions |
| 20 | Mitchell Daly | Figtree Kangaroos |
| 23 | Rohan Watson | Wollongong Lions |
| 24 | Jake Hogarth | Wollongong Lions |
| 25 | Callum McFadden | Figtree Kangaroos |
| 26 | Aaron Jory | Wollongong Bulldogs |
| 27 | Jack Burgess | Wollongong Lions |
Coach: Rod Richards
Assistant Coaches: Ray Burgess, Terry Little, Will Ryan
Team Manager: Neville “Sticks” Hickmott
2019 Premiers Kiama Power and 2018 Premiers Wollongong Lions make up the bulk of the 2019 representative team with the addition of players from the highly fancied Figtree team as well as the best from Bomaderry and the Wollongong Bulldogs. The final team selected is one which will hopefully showcase the speed and skill of the league. Another of the key components will be the great ferocity and pressure around the ground which has been a major strength of South Coast AFL for some time now.
AFL South Coast will again be led into battle by Wollongong Lions ruckmen Rohan Watson who will again captain the team after admirably leading the team in its last fixture and his battle in the middle will be a pivotal with a wealth of onballers form both sides craving to get first use. The work rate and toughness of the South Coast midfield led by Kiama’s Jack Mahony and Nick Baggio will be important. Speed and skills on the outside are a strength of the side with the likes of Jack Boxsell, Ben Williams and Matt Price hoping to get plenty of the pill in space.
The Lion’s duo of Sam Wilson and Jake Hogarth up forward will spearhead the attack and will be hoping to get quick ball inside the forward 50 to apply scoreboard pressure.
The talented and versatile Callum McFadden who has returned to the league will be one the side look to around the ground for direction while the Bulldogs Aaron Jory is fearless and wins plenty of his own football to turn defence into attack.
AFL South Coast is under no illusions about the strength of AFL Hunter Central Coast who in recent years have proved themselves as clearly the third strongest league across NSW and the ACT. AFL South Coast have won their last six representative encounters and for some years have tried to organise a fixture against one of the top leagues so this match up will really test the waters and the strength of the league.
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