'A good match-up': Rising midfielder excited to co-captain interleague side

Rhodes, a midfielder who plays his club football with South Warrnambool, will lead the Bottle Greens alongside Darcy Hutchins from Terang Mortlake in the fixture at Warrnambool's Reid Oval.

The HFNL side is littered with budding talent from across the league and includes a host of footballers with senior Hampden league experience.

It also contains Greater Western Victoria Rebels players Chad Finck (Portland) and Hugh Morgan (Warrnambool).

Rhodes, who has played eight games for the Roosters' senior team this year, hopes the team's pace can make up for its lack of height.

"We're probably pretty quick, not real tall so hopefully we're a bit quicker than the Ballarat boys and hopefully we can move the ball well," he told The Standard.

"It'll be a good match-up."

Rhodes was honoured to be chosen to lead the Bottle Greens alongside Hutchins but said it hadn't "really sunk in yet".

Warrnambool's Ben Parkinson, who is coaching the team alongside Portland's Justin Impey, is expecting a tight contest between the two sides.

He said the game was a great opportunity for those involved - who may have been overlooked for higher levels in the past - to showcase their skills.

"...There's eight that we can't play because they're playing with the Rebels on the weekend and there's a couple of others that are injured and unavailable," he said.

"They (players that have missed out on that level) really get an opportunity to play that higher level of footy instead of just the club footy each weekend. It just presents opportunities for guys who haven't had it really."

Parkinson said Camperdown teenager Aidan Conheady, fresh off selection in the 17 and under boys' Australian netball team, was one player he was keen to see in action on Saturday.

"I've only seen him play one or two games of footy but he moves really, really nicely on the footy field as well so he's obviously a talented sportsman," he said.

The under 17 male interleague match begins at 2pm after the female under 18 clash between the two leagues which starts at 12pm.

The under 23 match follows and is a twilight fixture beginning at 4.15pm.

Hampden league under 17 male team: Ted Hunter, Xavier Harris, Aubery Watson (North Warrnambool Eagles), Taj Cunningham, Aidan Conheady (Camperdown), Hugo Artz, Hugh Morgan, Henry Hoffman (Warrnambool), Jack Fowler, Darcy Hutchins (Terang Mortlake), Sam Rhodes, Hunter Cross (South Warrnambool), Des O'Keefe, Archie Tepper, Rylee Parsons (Koroit), Angus Impey, Chad Finck (Portland), Parker Walsh, Campbell Walsh, Ryan Mottram (Cobden), Hugh Fitzgerald, Zac Elliott (Hamilton Kangaroos).