The final 27-player Vic Country squad to compete in the upcoming NAB AFL Under-16 Championships has been released.
The 23-player Country team (plus four emergencies) will begin its Under-16 Championships campaign on Sunday June 16 when it takes on Vic Metro at GMHBA Stadium in Geelong from 12.30pm.
Both Country and Metro will then travel to Queensland for rounds 2 and 3 of the Championships, which feature games against South Australia and Western Australia on Monday July 8 at Southport (Gold Coast) and Friday July 12 at the Gabba (Brisbane).
Country played its final trial match ahead of the Championships on Saturday at Preston City Oval, losing to Vic Metro 12.8 (80) to 7.3 (45) with final squad members like Benjamin Green (Gippsland Power – 21 disposals, 10 clearances and seven tackles), Ben Hobbs (GWV Rebels – 20 and six tackles) and Joshua Rachele (Murray Bushrangers – 20 and five clearances) standing out in defeat.
2019 UNDER-16 VIC COUNTRY SQUAD
| NO. | NAME | NAB LEAGUE CLUB | LOCAL CLUB | |
| 1 | Judson | Clarke | Dandenong Stingrays | East Ringwood |
| 2 | Campbell | Chesser | Sandringham Dragons | Wodonga |
| 3 | Ben | Hobbs | GWV Rebels | Horsham |
| 4 | Oskar | Faulkhead | Bendigo Pioneers | Wentworth |
| 5 | Mitchell | Moschetti | Gippsland Power | Phillip Island |
| 6 | Kai | Lohmann | GWV Rebels | Phillip Island |
| 7 | Sam | Breuer | GWV Rebels | Horsham Saints |
| 8 | Cooper | Hamilton | Bendigo Pioneers | Colbinabbin |
| 9 | Hugh | Hamilton | Bendigo Pioneers | Colbinabbin |
| 10 | Benjamin | Green | Gippsland Power | Pakenham |
| 11 | Connor | Macdonald | Dandenong Stingrays | Lysterfield |
| 12 | Blake | Scott | GWV Rebels | Skipton |
| 13 | Joshua | Rachele | Murray Bushrangers | Shepparton Swans |
| 16 | Lincoln | White | Bendigo Pioneers | Strathfieldsaye |
| 17 | Charlie | Molan | GWV Rebels | Mount Clear |
| 18 | Tom | Brown | Murray Bushrangers | Mooroopna |
| 19 | Angus | Bade | GWV Rebels | Warrnambool |
| 21 | Joshua | Gibcus | GWV Rebels | East Ballarat |
| 22 | Benjamin | Bath | Murray Bushrangers | Tabilk |
| 24 | Oscar | Morrison | Geelong Falcons | St Joseph's |
| 25 | Justin | Davies | Dandenong Stingrays | Mordialloc Braeside |
| 27 | Josh | Rentsch | GWV Rebels | Penshurst |
| 28 | Toby | Conway | Geelong Falcons | St Mary's |
EMERGENCIES
| NO. | NAME | NAB LEAGUE CLUB | LOCAL CLUB | |
| 14 | Indy | Parish | Geelong Falcons | Grovedale |
| 15 | Sam | Butler | GWV Rebels | Lake Wendouree |
| 20 | Bode | Stevens | Bendigo Pioneers | Strathfieldsaye |
| 26 | Patrick | Gerdan | Dandenong Stingrays | Beaconsfield |
