Country Champs: Upper Great Southern chasing 14th division one title at Nutrien Ag Country Championships

Upper Great Southern Football League will promote a strong mix of youth and experience in their bid to take back the division one title at the Nutrien Ag Solutions Country Football Championships in Perth this week. Uppers will enter the competition with a point to prove after falling narrowly short in their final qualifying game against Peel last year and will be bolstered by the inclusion of an elite midfield group. Simon Panizza, James Laurino, Ryan Melvin, Kade Stewart and Jordan Heil will play leading roles in a side that also features 12 players under the age of 23. Former WAFL star and Sandover medallist Haiden Schloithe is another star addition to the 31-man squad, having returned to his hometown of Katanning earlier this season. Gerard Medlen has returned for his second stint as Uppers coach in his quest to claim a 14th title for the competition’s representative squad. Flynn Spark, Abdul Pickett and Riley Holden are the youngest members of the squad with Pickett and Spark both aged 18 while Holden is 17 years of age. Katanning, Wickepin and Boddington boast the highest representation with seven members each while Narrogin have two, Kukerin-Dumbleyung have three, Williams have two and Wagin have three. One of Kukerin-Dumbleyung’s Sam Howie and Boddington’s Lewis Gillespie will not play in the final 30-man squad. UGSFL president Kim Melvin said he expected a strong showing at the championships. “We’re taking a lot of younger talent this year which gives them exposure at senior level which will be great for them,” he said. “We’ll have to win either one of those to be in with a chance really.” Melvin said he was looking forward to Medlen coaching the side for a second-straight year. “He’s a quality person and he’s obviously coached at local level here and he’s taken the reins of the group to coach at a hgher level,” Melvin said. “He does a great job with the troops and he’s been great over the last six weeks organising everything and getting the squad together.” UGSFL squad 1. Tom Kilpatrick (Narrogin) 2. Kade Stewart (Katanning) 3. Haiden Schloithe (Katanning) 4. Flynn Spark (Wickepin) 5. Josh Kirk (Wagin) 6. Simon Panizza (Williams) 7. Ben Sherry (Boddington) 8. Jimi Gillespie (Boddington) 9. Lachlan Saunders (Katanning) 10. Laurence Collard (Katanning) 11. Ryan Melvin (Wickepin) 12. Jordan Heil (Narrogin) 13. James Laurino (Katanning) 14. Fraser Wittwer (Wickepin) 15. Billy Clay(Wickepin) 16. Sam Howie (Kukerin/Dumbleyung) 16. Lewis Gillespie (Boddington) 17. Abdul Pickett (Boddington) 18. Daniel Stubbs (Wagin) 19. Riley Holden (Boddington) 20. Joshua Hubbard (Wagin) 21. Mel Watson (Wickepin) 22. Ryan Bennell (Boddington) 23. Coen Marwick (Kukerin/Dumbleyung) 24. Jack O’Sullivan (Wickepin) 25. Brayden Fairhead (Wickepin) 26. Deklan Georgy (Kukerin/Dumbleyung) 27. Gerard Medlen (Williams) 28. Travis Justins (Katanning) 29. Sam Cooper (Boddington) 30. Caleb Keley (Katanning) Division 1 fixtures Friday, July 7 at Pentanet Stadium, Joondalup Avon v South West, 11.30am Peel v Ongerup, 12.30pm Upper Great Southern v South West, 1.30pm Avon v Ongerup, 2.30pm Upper Great Southern v Peel, 3.30pm Saturday, July 8 at Mineral Resources Park, Lathlain Peel v South West, 8.45am Ongerup v Upper Great Southern, 9.45am Peel v Avon, 10.45am Ongerup v South West, 11.45am Upper Great Southern v Avon, 12.45pm Sunday, July 9 at Fremantle Community Bank Oval Division 1 grand final, 1.05pm