Four Hampden league talents will test themselves against the best junior footballers in the country after earning selection in the Victoria Country under 18 squad.
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2024 draft prospects Finn O'Sullivan, Mitch Lloyd (both Koroit), Flynn Penry and Rhys Unwin (both Cobden) were picked in the 32-player squad which will contest the AFL under 18 national championships.
Vic Country's campaign begins on Sunday, June 9 against South Australia at Carlton's Princes Park.
Lloyd (defender), Penry (ruck) and Unwin (midfield/forward) are members of the Greater Western Victoria Rebels' Coates Talent league side while midfielder O'Sullivan, who boards at Xavier College in Melbourne, plays for the Oakleigh Chargers.
Penry boards at Geelong Grammar and represents his school in the APS system while O'Sullivan, a member of the AFL National Academy, does the same for Xavier College.
Lloyd has enjoyed the smoothest campaign of the group in 2024, transforming himself into a star defender for the Rebels.
The teenager has featured in all eight games for the side, earning best player selection on six occasions.
O'Sullivan (thumb and finger), Penry (ankle) and Unwin (ankle) have all had injury-interrupted years.
Penry has returned to the field while Unwin hasn't played since sustaining a syndesmosis for the Rebels in late March.
Unwin was aiming to be fit in time for the championships, with O'Sullivan hopeful he would be available to represent Vic Country in the back end of the championships after having surgery on his broken finger.
O'Sullivan, viewed as a potential number one pick in this year's AFL draft, represented Vic Country at last year's championships as a bottom-ager and was selected in the All-Australian side.
Matt Hughes
Matt is a sports journalist at The Standard.
Matt is a sports journalist at The Standard.
