Around The Leagues: Country talent on show at colts carnival, Blechynden brothers unite and champs edge closer

The Advertiser brings you Around the Leagues, taking a look at football stories of players and personalities from the Great Southern, Ongerup and Upper Great Southern regions. Colts carnival still kicking goals The long-running Great Southern Colts Carnival is one of the best regional football experiences you can get. It is run by the Great Southern Football Council, which began operating in 1922, and is now on a two-year rotation between country towns Lake Grace and Kulin. Those involved are preparing to celebrate the 100th carnival in a few years after the council reached its centenary in 2022. Eight teams took part in the carnival at Lake Grace last weekend, attracting some of WA’s most talented young players. Lower South West, Eastern Districts, Upper Great Southern, Peel, Goldfields, Great Southern Storm, Ongerup and Esperance were represented and it was a strong Peel Cavaliers outfit that emerged victorious. The Cavaliers went through the two-day carnival undefeated and downed Goldfields by 26 points in the grand final. Star Peel midfielder Hugh Menzies won the Clem Bray trophy as the best player in the decider, while emerging Goldfields talent Judd Kelman received the Harry Reeves Medal as the best and fairest player across the entire carnival. They were among the 20 players named in the Great Southern 20, a team picked by selectors after watching all 16 games. There were some nice stories to come from the carnival, where WA footy legends Darrell Panizza and Tony Micale squared off as coaches. Panizza, a dual WAFL premiership player, Claremont games record holder and State representative, was in charge of the Great Southern Storm. Micale is a four-time WAFL premiership coach and former assistant with West Coast and had the reins of Upper Great Southern. In the third and fourth play-off Upper Great Southern got the better of the Storm to win by 21 points. Former South Fremantle and Swan Districts star Kyle Hams was an assistant coach for Goldfields. The 36-year-old is still playing league footy for Kalgoorlie and spent the weekend working with the midfield group. Injured Claremont forward Timm House was also a welcomed participant in the carnival. House, who was drafted by Geelong but never played an AFL game, is living and working on the family farm in Gnowangerup. He helped out as an assistant coach for Ongerup in their three games on Saturday and is eying a return to the WAFL late in the season as he continues his rehab for a knee injury. Brothers in arms It was a special moment for Brookton-Pingelly brothers Tom and Jack Blechynden on Sunday. The pair, who hail from the Upper Great Southern, played their first game together in South Fremantle colours when younger brother Jack made his league debut. Jack had played 31 reserves games with the club but after toiling away was rewarded with his first league appearance in the Bulldogs’ clash with East Perth in round 10. The Bulldogs went down by 23 points but the brothers shared a nice moment pre-game when Tom presented Jack his playing jumper. Tom continued his outstanding season with 27 disposals and six tackles to be named in the Bulldogs’ best players. Playing up forward, Jack, 21, finished with five touches, two marks, three tackles and three hit-outs in his first league outing. Boddington pair George Wessels and Jarrod Salmeri also featured in the Bulldogs league team. Championship fixtures finalised Fixtures for next month’s Nutrien Ag Solutions Country Football Championships have been officially released. The annual championships begin on Thursday, July 6, with the colts division being contested over two days before the senior divisions kick off on Friday, July 7. The colts division consists of Peel, Great Southern Storm, Great Northern, Regional Districts, Pilbara, Avon, South West and Kimberley Spirit, with games at Lane Group Stadium in Mandurah on July 6 and then Sir Ross McLarty Oval in Pinjarra the following day. The grand final is set down for 4pm on July 7. Division one senior games will be played at Pentanet Stadium in Joondalup on July 7, where promoted team Ongerup Football Association will tackle Peel in their campaign opener. Reigning champions South West are first-up when they clash with Avon. Division two games will be held at Lane Group Stadium on July 7, with Great Northern and Central Midlands Coastal to start proceedings. At Gil Fraser Reserve in North Fremantle on July 7, Great Southern will be among several fresh teams tackling division three. On Saturday, July 8, division one will move to Mineral Resources Park in Lathlain, Revo Fitness Stadium in Claremont will host division two games and division three will head to Lane Group Stadium. The three championship finals will be played Fremantle Community Bank Oval on Sunday, July 9. Division three will be played at 10am, followed by the division two decider at 12.15pm, while the division one grand final starts at 2.30pm. GSFL show their hand with strong initial squad There has been plenty of talk around the interest levels in representative footy from seniors in the Great Southern Football League. The signs are good just a few weeks out from country championships. A very strong 41-man squad was named earlier this month by head coach Glynn Verbruggen and his band of selectors. Reigning Kleemann medallist Zach Jackson heads the list and fellow Mt Barker star Daniel Patching is a welcome inclusion. Isaac Baum is leading the GSFL Coaches’ Player of the Year award and possibly the Kleemann Medal race and he’s a lock, while ex-AFL player and leading goal kicker Brett Peake has also been named. The squad contains key figures from Railways in Logan Stubber, Jayden Scott, Kane Shephard, Beau Ewen and Joel Want, while veteran Matt Orzel is a surprise inclusion and among six players from North Albany. Denmark-Walpole have only one representative while the Royals players present plenty of intrigue, with Jayson Ford and Steven Edwards, who are both yet to play a game this year, being included. Division three will be no walk in the park for the GSFL upon their carnival return but the fact they have named such a strong squad signals their intent to not just be there to make up the numbers. Taylah back with a bang It has taken some time but Royals product Taylah Orzel is back in the Claremont’s WAFLW team and she made her impact felt last Saturday. Orzel played three games earlier in the season but then finished off in the local GSFLW competition, helping the Lions win a premiership. The midfield star has moved to Perth and after being an emergency, broke into the team for their round 15 clash against West Perth. Orzel had not played WAFLW since round seven but quickly found her feet, racking up 13 disposals, six marks and two inside-50s. The undefeated Tigers were dominant 56-point winners, holding the Falcons scoreless to remain 12 points clear on top of the ladder. It is a good time to break back into the side for Orzel, with only five games left in the regular season. Got a footy story from our region to share? Email cameron.newbold@albanyadvertiser.com