Around The Leagues: Orzel plays in front of AFLW recruiters, winning milestones and latest OFA & UGSFL news

The Advertiser brings you Around The Leagues, taking a look at football stories from players and personalities from the Great Southern, Ongerup and Upper Great Southern regions. Orzel gets chance to impress Talented Great Southern midfielder Taylah Orzel got the chance to play in front of AFLW recruiters when she was part of an All Stars match at Cockburn last week. The WAFLW All Stars side came up against the State 18s as some of WA’s most talented players went head-to-head on April 6. Orzel was the best player in the Great Southern Football League Women’s competition last year and has made the move to play for Claremont in the WAFLW this season. The Royals product had played two league games so far this season before she was picked to pull on the State colours. The selection criteria for the All Stars team rewarded good form early in the WAFLW season and identified players with potential of joining the AFLW ranks, as selectors worked closely with West Coast and Fremantle to finalise the squads. A goal after the final siren handed the WAFLW side victory by two points in the clash, 5.1 (31) to 4.5 (29). Milestones celebrated with a win Brookton-Pingelly star Tom Blechynden continues to impress at WAFL level and marked his 50th league game in style. A premiership player with South Fremantle, Blechynden started the new season in terrific fashion. In his 50th league match for the Bulldogs he racked 28 disposals, three marks and four inside 50s to be one of the most important players on the ground. The Bulldogs thumped West Coast by 43 points at Fremantle Community Bank Oval on Saturday and Blechynden’s only blemish was kicking two behinds. His efforts earned him a place in the WAFL team of the week for the opening round, named on the interchange. The 23-year-old has become a regular in the Bulldogs midfield after a couple of stellar seasons and averages more than 20 disposals in his first 50 league games. He shared the milestone win with two fellow Upper Great Southern players, Jarrad Doney and Jarrod Salmeri. Ongerup’s Angus Dewar, a multiple premiership player with Subiaco, also had a milestone to remember. He played his 100th league game for the Lions as they finished round one winners. New-look UGSFL competition bounces down For the first time in history, seven teams will compete for the Upper Great Southern Football League premiership. The 2023 season will get under way with only two fixtures, one Saturday and the other on Sunday. The withdrawal of Brookton-Pingelly has left Wickepin, Katanning, Kukerin-Dumbleyung, Boddington, Narrogin, Williams and Wagin left to fight it out for the flag. Teams will play 14 games each and also have three byes across a 17-round regular season. The extra rounds have forced an early start for UGSFL officials and the grand final will be played a week later than normal, on August 26 with Wagin’s Matera Oval the host this year. Boddington will enter the season as reigning premiers but will be without former AFL star Jarrod Cameron — who has returned to Swan Districts in the WAFL. In other news around the league, ex-WAFL star George Hampson is one of three new coaches. Hampson has won league fairest and bests at three different clubs and played for Kambalda in the Goldfields Football League in 2021. Last year he spent his time playing for Fremantle CBC in the Perth Football League and also ran out for one game in the Mortlock Football League. He has signed on as player-coach of Wagin, who didn’t make the top four last year. Daniel Spencer, the son of WAFL legend Peter Spencer, is the new coach of Wickepin, who went down by one point to the Eagles in the grand final last year. Kukerin-Dumbleyung also have a new coach with Nathan Ditchburn in charge of the Cougars. There is only two games to start the new season as three clubs have the bye in round one. The Warriors will host Katanning on Saturday and the Eagles will start their premiership defence on Sunday when they travel to face the Cougars. Can they win four in row? All the talk around the Ongerup Football Association has been around Gnownagerup as they chase a rare premiership four-peat. Jerramungup were the last team in the OFA to win four straight grand finals from 2008-2011. The Bulldogs boasted two State country representatives last season in midfielder Fraser House and key forward Lewis Davis. Claremont power forward Timm House played for the Bulldogs in a recent pre-season tournament in Borden and didn’t play for his WAFL club in the opening round of the season. Newdegate and Lake Grace-Pingrup are set to challenge the Bulldogs in their bid to win four straight while the addition of some youth has Boxwood Hill optimistic ahead of the new season. The OFA will implement a rule change in the league competition this season. There will be no boundary umpires for those games and instead when the ball crosses the line not on the full, a player from the home side will throw it back into play and the nearest opponent will also join him outside the field of play until the ball is thrown in. Jerramungup will host Lake Grace-Pingrup and Gnowangerup are at home to Newdegate when the new season gets under way on Saturday. Claremont skipper back on the park Declan Mountford will make his first appearance of the WAFL season but it will be in the reserves. The Claremont league captain was sidelined after surgery and missed the opening round of the season. He has been named in the Tigers reserves side that will take on South Fremantle at Revo Fitness Stadium on Saturday. Mountford, who hails from North Albany, was named as an inclusion alongside fellow Great Southern product Coen Jackman. The Railways forward is also coming back from injury and will play his first game of the season. In other team news Railways junior Jye Clark, the younger brother of Fremantle Docker Jordan Clark, has been named in Perth’s reserves side after not playing in round one. Got a footy story from our region to share? Email cameron.newbold@albanyadvertiser.com