The exuberance of youth and a tight team bond can help carry the Bendigo Football Netball League to inter-league glory on Saturday, according to skipper Jack Reaper.
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The BFNL goes into Saturday's clash with the Victorian Amateur Football Association in Melbourne as underdogs, particularly with the absence of six of the top 10 players in the competition - Lachlan Tardrew, Fergus Greene, Michael Hartley, Bailey Henderson, Braidon Blake and Brad Bernacki.
Their unavailability has opened the door for coach Ashley Connick and Reaper to promote some of the best young talent in the league.
"When Ash and I first spoke we thought about a side that could transpire and it looked quite dangerous,'' Reaper said on Friday.
"Having a few of those blokes missing through injury, soreness and pulling out is disappointing, but I think the squad we have bats deep and is still very capable.
"We have some good key defenders, our forward line looks dangerous and some midfielders that are really strong. We give ourselves a good chance.
"Having 17 or 18 debutants is pretty exciting and they'll be buzzing for their first crack at inter-league footy."
The VAFA team is made up of players from the league's Premier B division and lower grades.
Some of their players have never seen their team-mates play before - something that Reaper said shouldn't be underestimated.
"Their squad comes from 29 teams across multiple divisions whereas we're from eight teams and we play each other twice a year,'' Reaper said.
"We haven't played much together, but we know each other's strengths and weaknesses because we have the best players in the competition in our group and our players are spoken about every pre-game- at club level.
"We have that awareness of each other and the way Ash has created the lead-up to the game with a meet and greet early, a couple of training sessions and then going out for dinner last night, gave us a good opportunity to bond.
"We've got a tight group."
Gisborne key defender Reaper made his inter-league debut for Bendigo in 2018.
The BFNL hasn't played inter-league footy since 2019 and only returns this year because of the hard work put in by BFNL manager Cam Tomlins and the BFNL board, led by chair Carol McKnstry.
"I think it's really good that Cam (Tomlins) and Carol (McKinstry) pushed hard for inter-league to return,'' Reaper said.
"(Strathfieldsaye's) Daniel (Clohesy) mentioned in his article earlier this week that inter-league is something to tick off and something to strive for. I agree that it's a really good accomplishment for everyone that can get a jumper.
"I had a really good experience in 2018 and (Gisborne team-mate) Pat (McKenna) said the same thing about his experience in 2019. We're looking forward to playing inter-league again and to get the chance to build relationships with players from across the league.
"It's nice to bond with the best players in the competition."
It's been a difficult season for the BFNL as battling club Maryborough ponders a future that is more than likely in another league.
A strong performance at inter-league level on Saturday would give the BFNL a much-needed morale boost.
"It's a great opportunity for us,'' Reaper said.
"For us to get the Bendigo jumper back on, work together as a team and try to get a victory to give Cam and the BFNL team something to celebrate."
A moment Reaper is looking forward to on Saturday is running out with his young Gisborne team-mate Zac Vescovi.
Unheralded by many outside of Gardiner Reserve, Vescovi is one of the in-form lockdown defenders in the BFNL.
"Zac has had two very good auditions in front of Ash, having played against Fergus Greene in both Sandhurst games,'' Reaper said.
"I remember we had an intra-club game in the pre-season of 2021 and he was at the other end of the ground. We thought we had our good forwards and backs playing at one end on each other and the seconds forwards and backs at the other.
"At the end of the game I pulled (coach) Rob Waters aside and said 'who is that red head at the other end of the ground?'
"Zac dominated that day and from there he's come on in leaps and bounds. He works harder at his craft than anyone else at the club.
"He never played junior inter-league footy and has never been picked in any rep squads, so to see his development come from that day in 2021 to playing on Lachy Sharp in the 2022 grand final to his first inter-league game on Saturday, is pretty cool. He deserves his chance."
Saturday's clash at Elsternwick Park starts at 2.10pm.
BENDIGO FNL
B: Coby Perry (Mb), Charlie Langford (Eh), Zac Vescovi (Gis)
Hb: Isaiah Miller (SB), Jack Reaper (Gis), Cooper Smith (Sh)
C: Tom Strauch (GS), Lachlan Gill (SS), Brody Haddow (SB)
Hf: Cobi Maxted (Sh), Jayden Burke (GS), Matt Harvey (SS)
F: Jack Stewart (GS), James Schischka (SS), Pat McKenna (Gis)
Foll: Caleb Ernst (SS), Ricky Monti (GS), Daniel Clohesy (SS)
Inter: Lachlan Ratcliffe (SS), Brock Harvey (SB), Luke Ellings (KF), Jordan Rosengren (GS)
Emerg: Malik Gordon (SS), Jed Denahy (Gis)
VAFA
B: William Horsfall, Richie Simon, Callum Heath
Hb: Fletcher Banfield, Jack Sheridan, Sam Kieseker
C: Harrison Kennedy, Charles Beasley, Archie Loughnan
Hf: Riley Virtue, Josh Cowan, Callum Linehan
F: Tom Filipovic, Alex Emery, Edward Weatherson
Foll: Oscar Roberts, Christian Algeri, Liam Conway
Inter: Nathan Scollo, Alex Bennett, Christos Manoussakis, Oskar Manton, Matt Fewings, Michael Nicholls
BFNL RECENT INTER-LEAGUE RESULTS
2009 - 21.12 (138) def Ballarat 16.21 (117)
2010 - 15.11 (101) def Gippsland 12.20 (92)
2011 - 15.12 (102) lt Geelong 19.8 (122)
2012 - 18.12 (120) def Gippsland 15.7 (97)
2013 - 8.17 (65) lt Ballarat 13.10 (88)
2014 - 19.14 (128) def Gippsland 13.16 (94)
2015 - 4.12 (36) lt Ballarat 17.11 (113)
2016 - 17.8 (110) def Gippsland 12.7 (79)
2017 - 14.10 (94) lt Ballarat 16.9 (105)
2018 - 10.13 (73) lt Hampden 11.16 (82)
2019 - 18.17 (125) def Outer East 3.8 (26)
