Nine Hampden players make Rebels' under 16 squad for 2024

Hamilton Kangaroos' Jack Sobey, Warrnambool's Archie Poumako, South Warrnambool's Mason Osborne, Port Fairy's Max Clancey, Koroit's Austin Lloyd and Portland's Klay Nicholls are taller players with "scope for the future".

Outside midfielders Hamish Dobson (Koroit) and Leo Ellerton (South Warrnambool) and pressure specialist Charlie Kenna (Terang Mortlake) were also selected for the Victorian country carnival.

GWV Rebels head coach David Loader said the team, which would play Bendigo Pioneers and Dandenong Stingrays, was laden with height.

"They are all prospects to become good tall (players)," he said.

"It is a necessary evil at the next level, tall players are what's required. Even the midfield players are quite tall, a lot of them.

"At 16, it's a little bit more of a view to the future. Some of these boys may not grow and it may bring them back to the pack a little bit."

Sobey won the Hampden league under 14 goal-kicking award in 2021 and the grade's best and fairest in 2022, playing as a midfielder.

Loader said Sobey was likely to represent the Rebels in defence, highlighting his versatility.

"He played a key defensive role (in the trial games). He was really strong over the footy, ran in straight lines and looked like he was going to like the contest of playing on tall forwards," he said.

Poumako can play at both ends of the ground.

"He is another one with the scope to maybe become a key forward or a key defender," Loader said.

"He won some good one-on-one contests and looks like he might have some flexibility."

Osborne is injured but is expected to be available for the two matches.

"He is a really tall, rangy player with good height and athleticism. I think he's a pretty good basketballer as well," Loader said.

Clancey was hurt in the first trial match but showed enough to book his spot.

"He's a big, strong, aggressive player who played in the ruck and played as a key forward," Loader said.

"He looked quite adept at playing both those roles."

Lloyd is the younger brother of former Rebel Jamie and current Rebels key forward Mitch.

"He's taller than Mitch already and played as a key defender in the first game and looked quite good aerially," he said.

Nicholls can fill a role at full-back or centre-half-back and has a penchant for rebounding.

"He is a little bit more aggressive with his running. He was a hybrid so could play a key post or could play as a running half-back," Loader said.

Dobson can rotate between midfield and half-forward and worked into both trial games well.

"He just kept running to the right spots and used his cleverness to get out and get the ball forward," he said.

Ellerton is a "really explosive" prospect who is "lively with good speed" while Kenna is "a small, quick pressure-type player".

"Even though Charlie is only small and light, he's got some top-end running ability," Loader said.

The Rebels' under 16 side will play Bendigo in a curtain-raiser to the under 18 match on Sunday, March 24 and Dandenong as part of a country triple-header on Wednesday, April 3 at Trevor Barker Oval.

The matches will serve as a selection process for the Vic Country side.