THE South Australia Country football team has been finalised, with 22 players from across the state set to make the westward journey to Perth on Friday.
They will face off against Western Australia Country at Optus Stadium as a curtain-raiser for the West Coast v North Melbourne AFL clash on Saturday afternoon.
Among the team are South East players Penola’s Scott Merrett, East Gambier’s Jayden Eldridge and River Murray’s Sam Pfeiffer.
Penola’s Adam Merrett, who has stepped up as head coach this year, said he is pleased with the final team, despite the challenge of cutting back from the initial 33-player squad.
“It was a tougher job than I thought,” he said.
“We had a squad of 33 and one pulled out early due to a commitment.
“After the weekend we still had 32 to pick from – there were no injuries.
“But we think we came up with the best 22 to take away.
“It is pretty balanced and we are pretty happy with how we look on paper.”
Merrett was not alone in his decision, seeking the aid of assistant coach Scott Feltus and runner Michael Curtis, who share a wealth of representative football experience.
The process of choosing the side took longer than Merrett expected, but his commitment to the new role is clear to see.
“You just have to put the time in and trust your helpers around you,” he said.
“I have two really good helpers, plus the panel from SANFL which came across to help – Matt Duldig, Scott Duncan and the likes.
“We have put a fair bit of time into picking the best team we can.”
Merrett also contacted each of the zone coaches from the SA Country Championships to gather all the information he needed on the players up for selection.
With the final decision made, Penola’s Brad Bryant was the only Murray South East zone player chosen in the initial squad who was not named in the final side.
Merrett was happy to see a good representation from the South East – which he has coached for the past four years – but said he did not need to push for their selection.
“All three are very deserving and it is great to have them in there,” he said.
“It was not a push from me to get them in there, the selectors were happy to have them.
“They have earned their right to start on the ground and hopefully they make the most of their opportunities.”
Scott Merrett is familiar with the representative process and will look to impress again this weekend.
“This will be his third year in a row in the state team,” Adam Merrett said.
“He is really blossoming – from just making the state team, to starting on the ground, to now starting on the ball.
“He has definitely gone in leaps and bounds and is pretty well known for how he attacks the footy.
“He is a pretty fair and honest player and he gives his all.”
Eldridge also received plenty of praise and Merrett is excited to see him put his skills to the test on the weekend.
“Jayden had a great zone carnival,” Merrett said.
“I was really impressed with his football – he has been in the zone squad for two or three years and this year was the one he really stood out to me.
“He has earned his chance now and gets his opportunity on the half back flank.”
Pfeiffer can also be expected to slot into the team well and is no stranger to state football.
He is expected to start in the back pocket.
Last year SA Country defeated Western Australia by five points and it will be eager to defend its title on Saturday, which adds some extra pressure to the match.
“You only get one shot at it,” Merrett said.
“You have to wait 12 months to redeem yourself, so there is a bit of pressure on.
“But I think it is more a great experience for the footballers to go across there and gain the opportunity to pull the state guernsey on.
“I was privileged enough to do it myself a few times and I think it is more about the experience and getting the most out of it.”
However, it goes without saying Merrett will do everything in his power to coach the side to victory.
He believes both teams should match up well, with height and pace the key comparisons.
“They look like they have picked some fairly quick blokes,” Merrett said.
“Obviously it is a pretty big and round oval, so they will be looking to be pretty quick.
“We have done the same – we have gone fairly tall, but also have a lot of pace there as well.
“We will go out there and concentrate on how we are going to play our football and make sure we defend nice and tight.”
The match will tip off at 1.20pm South Australian time and will be live-streamed on the SANFL website.
