The league has named 50 players in the senior squad and 52 in the 19-and-under side, with seven Rochester names among those selected.
In the senior squad, two of the Tigers’ key stars, Ryan O’Keefe and Cooper Hamilton, are among those vying for selection.
In the 19-and-under, five Rochester players got the nod; Harrison Keating, Lachlan Joyce, Jordy Rasmussen, Hunter Wileman and Ethan Howard.
The seniors will be led by Benalla coach Nick Pearson, with Shepparton United’s Ramadan Yze coaching the 19-and-under outfit.
The duo was required to consider availability and eligibility criteria when selecting players, who have to feature in at least five league games before July 11.
“Putting out a list of 50 names is one thing, getting the commitment is usually the hard part,” senior coach Pearson said.
“The 50 that were announced, they’ve all committed. It’s not a matter of here’s the invites and see who shows up, it’s a matter of 50 blokes saying they want to play interleague.
“They’re going to put their best foot forward to try and get selected for the (final) squad.”
This year, the two sides will take on the Victorian Amateur Football Association at Elsternwick Park.
The VAFA squads will consist of players from up to eight competitions, premier B through to division three.
Its coaches have been confirmed, with Jarrod Gieschen leading the seniors and Paul Gilmour overseeing the under-19 side.
VAFA has played against the Bendigo Football Netball League the past two seasons, winning last year’s senior game by 10 points in a thriller that required extra time.
The BFNL is now facing the Ovens and Murray Football Netball League, which was the GVL’s previous opponent.
The league’s senior side had mixed results against the Ovens and Murray league in recent seasons, losing the 2023 and 2025 clashes by seven and 77 points, respectively, but prevailing by 15 points in 2024.
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