Boulder trio leading GFL charge for WA Country this weekend in Adelaide

Defending Goldfields Football League premiers Boulder account for three of four players from the Goldfields Football League named to represent WA Country on Sunday against South Australia.

The Tigers’ trio of Brett Blair, Jake Nuich and Andy Higgins were on Monday each named to the team, alongside Kalgoorlie’s Dylan Clarke, for the clash at Adelaide Oval.

It will be played as the curtain-raiser for the AFL match between Adelaide and Hawthorn.

The value of all four locals for WA Country is underpinned by their combined 76 goals, led by Blair’s 35.

Clarke has been restricted to eight games, but boasts 13 goals that complements his work around the ground.

Nuich and Clarke were members of last year’s WA Country team that beat South Australia by 45 points, 15.8 (98) to 8.5 (53), at Optus Stadium.

Both were prominent when WA Country avenged a big 2022 loss against the Croweaters in Adelaide.

Last year’s win included former GFL vice-chairman Brendon Simpson as coach.

Simpson was WA Country chairman of selectors and assistant coach and received a late call-up as head coach when Kane Benson fell ill.

WA Country selectors named 23 players to make this weekend’s trip, including former Geelong premiership star Harry Taylor who is now based in Northampton.

Also named was defender Bailey Taylor, who was among five players from the GFL who lined up in the victorious 2023 side but is now playing in Albany.

Bailey Taylor was named Country Football WA’s Champion of the Week after starring at the annual country championships in Perth.

A member of Boulder’s GFL premiership team last year, Taylor has been a member of championship teams at the country carnival in each of the past three seasons for different leagues — South-West in 2022, the GFL in 2023, and Great Southern this year.

Michael Griffiths will coach WA Country this weekend.

Two years ago, Mines Rovers’ Jordan Delbridge was WA Country’s co-captain against South Australia but the side was beaten by 27 points in Adelaide.