The Fed Uni women’s team, headlined by Western Bulldogs’ Kaitlyn Ashmore, will launch its Australian University Games’ title defence at Southport from Monday. Ashmore, an experienced AFL and premier division women’s footballer, is one of four returning players in the women’s line up. She re-joins Jordi Ivey, Carrie Jones and Georgie Garby.

Ashmore, Ivey and Jones were all-Australian green-and-gold medallists in last year’s carnival and these Games have plenty of support and versatility in an inexperienced squad.

All-Australian forward Jordan Staley is a key return, and late addition, to the Fed Uni men’s team. Staley is one of four Victorian Football League players in the squad. Fellow North Ballarat Roosters Jono Lanyon, Jacob Werts and Rowan Marshall are in the mix. Roosters’ forward Bryce Curnow will coach both teams. Curnow remains sidelined from a shoulder reconstruction in May.

Fed Uni captain Tait Niddrie (Learmonth/South Warrnambool) said Curnow’s advice and experience had been invaluable in team preparations.

“It’s definitely going to hurt us not having him out on the field but it’s good to have his knowledge of the game to help us,” Niddrie said. “We have had a couple of (training) sessions together but it’s more just getting to know the boys before we go up there. There’s five of us from Learmonth and a lot of friends that have brought friends from other clubs, so it has sort of been about bringing everyone together.”

Niddrie said competition was serious, players went hard at the ball, but games were all played in good spirit and were lots of fun.

TEAMS

MEN

1 Jono Lanyon (North Ballarat Roosters/East Point)

2 Justin Garry (Lucknow)

3 Tait Niddrie (Learmonth)

4 Jordan Staley (North Ballarat Roosters/East Point)

5 Joel Radlof (Maryborough Magpies)

6 Elliot Staley (Gippsland Power)

7 Jacob Werts (North Ballarat Roosters/Learmonth)

8 Nathan Monk (Lake Wendouree)

9 Brody Fishwick (Portland)

10 Andrew Day (Wickliffe-Lake Bolac/North Ballarat)

11 Jonty Wall (Rokewood)

12 Luke Bish (Lake Wendouree)

13 Ryan Bell (Redan)

14 Glenn Coleman (Learmonth)

15 Jackson Ford (Learmonth)

16 Joel Cant (Somerville Eagles)

17 Josh Clisshold (Hepburn)

18 Mitch Crosier (East Point)

19 Ciaran Conaughton 

20 Rowan Marshall (North Ballarat Roosters/Sebastopol)

21 Tom Mckimmie (Skipton)

22 Samuel Elbaz (Skipton)

23 Jack Timmins (Skipton)

24 Will Simpson (Learmonth)

25 Tristan Simmons (Bungaree)

26 Mitch Jones (Skipton)

27 Nemani Valucava (North Ballarat City)

28 Mitch Bowman (Bungaree)

42 Bryce Curnow (North Ballarat Roosters)

WOMEN

1 Jess Thomson (Leopold)

2 Carrie Jones (Redan)

3 Lacey Rudolph (Pimpino Tigers)

4 Chloe Finnigan (Dartmoor Giants)

5 Teyanah Butcher (Queenscliff)

6 Jordi Ivey (Bungaree)

7 Sylvie Holmes (Sebastopol)

8 Ruby Dangerfield (Anglesea)

9 Rachel Harvey (Tyabb)

10 Claudia Callagher (Anglesea)

11 Keely Sheppherd (Ballarat North United)

12 Kaitlyn Ashmore (Western Bulldogs/Melbourne University/Sebastopol)

13 Remeny Mcann 

14 Jacquie James (Lake Wendouree)

15 Sarah Grant (Exies)

16 Jane Douglass (Waubra)

17 Georgia Martin (Learmonth)

18 Georgia Kennedy (Skipton)

19 Meg Clode (Casterton-Sandford)

21 Maddy Mason (Portland)

22 Chloe Pratt (Casterton-Sandford)

24 Carly Twaits (Redan)

25 Court McLean (Lake Wendouree)

26 Mel Tomlins (Leopold)

27 Molly Boyle (Lake Wendouree)

28 Sarah Hawkes (Creswick)

29 Georgie Garby (Bungaree)