Big V: Echuca’s Noah Long has been named in Vic Country’s initial under-18 squad. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos)
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Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos
Echuca’s Noah Long and Tongala’s Harley Reid are no strangers to the Big V jumper after their star turns for the under-17 Vic Country side earlier this year.
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In 2022, the rising stars look set to compete at the national level once again, with both named in Vic Country’s initial 22-man under-18 squad.
Next year’s country and metropolitan state representative sides were announced on Friday, revealing a host of names to keep an eye on at the National Championships next year.
Star on the rise: Tongala’s Harley Reid has earned state selection for the second time. Photo: Martin Keep/AFL Photos
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AFL Photos
For Long and Reid, it is the second year running the highly touted Bendigo Pioneers duo will don the Big V after enjoying strong under-17 campaigns earlier this year.
Long, 17, co-captained Country against Vic Metro across two games at GMHBA Stadium and Queen Elizabeth Oval in July after the National Championships were relocated from the Gold Coast due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Long earned plaudits in those games, named in the best players on both occasions, while Reid delivered for Vic Country off half-back.
Reid, Tongala’s 16-year-old prodigy, stole headlines as an under-age player in his debut NAB League season.
Debuting as a 15-year-old in June, Reid booted eight goals from five games, earning rising star honours at Bendigo’s presentation night.
Murray Bushrangers duo Max Clohesy (Shepparton Swans) and Brayden George (Tatura) round out the boys’ Goulburn Valley League representation with Long, while Reid is the sole selection out of the Murray Football League for 2022.
Keely Skepper (Shepparton United) and Madison Grey (Benalla) are the GVL women’s players to earn Vic Country selection.
Victorian squad members will gather in January for a three-day training camp, receiving elite guidance on “preparation and recovery, GPS and training loads and football/life balance,” as well as interviewing with AFL club recruiters.
The NAB AFL National Championships are scheduled for June and July (boys), and March and April (girls). A Vic Country and Vic Metro match will be played in September during the 2022 AFL finals.
The AFL has announced the National Championships will revert to the traditional under-16 and under-18 model after favouring under-17 and under-19 age groups due to COVID-19 disruptions to football competitions.
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