Horsham will be well represented when Vic Country kickstarts its representative campaigns this weekend.
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AFL Academy member Ben Hobbs and his GWV Rebels teammate Sam Breuer have been rewarded for their form by being invited to play in a Victoria Country under 19 trial game on Sunday.
The pair were invited alongside Rebels teammates Josh Gibcus, Marcus Hebert, Charlie Molan, Hamish Sinnott, Sam Butler, Jamieson Ballantyne, Kai Lohmann, Angus Bade and Josh Rentsch top take part in the match.
Vic Country is scheduled to play its first AFL Under 19 Championships game against the Allies on Saturday, August 14.
In the under 17s age group five under Rebels players have been named in the squad to play Vic Metro in the opening fixture of the AFL Under 17 Championships at Geelong on Saturday.
Aaron Cadman, James Van Es, Felix Fogarty, George Stevens and Vincent Huf will all pull on the prestigious Big V.
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Meanwhile, in a strange chain of events, Rebels top-aged player Fraser Marris will pull on the Sydney Swans' guernsey this weekend.
Marris will play for Sydney's VFL side against GWS Giants at Melbourne's Holden Centre after a COVID-19 outbreak in New South Wales forced the teams to relocate south temporarily.
NAB League 19-year-old-listed footballers, such as Marris, were called on to help fill player shortages.
Greater Western Victoria Rebels talent manager Damian Ross said the inside midfielder, who is averaging 27 disposals at game in the statewide junior competition, would slot into the Swans' line-up.
"It is great for him. He is in absolutely the right form to be playing VFL footy," he said.
"I am sure he'll be nervous but he'll also be confident because he knows the type of player he is, being an inside mid, that he doesn't mind being in traffic so that style is not going to bother him at all.
"You'd like to think too with the speed of the game, as it opens up, he'll find himself in some really nice spots as well because he's a good runner. He's a clever runner.
"He is one of our favourites."
Ross said the NAB League, which changed from an under 18 to under 19 competition this season after coronavirus restrictions wiped out the 2020 season, was determined to help players earn opportunities at higher levels.
He said Marris' opportunity with Sydney came through unique circumstances but was deserved after standout performances for the Rebels, including two 38-disposal games.
"Any opportunities that we can find to expose them to VFL footy we do," Ross said.
The Sydney-GWS Giants' VFL match is at 5.45pm on Sunday.
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