Coach Shaun O’Loughlin cannot speak highly enough of the all-out effort Short has made to ensure he lines up against Bendigo in the AFL Victoria Community Championship at Bendigo’s Queen Elizabeth Oval on Saturday.

Short’s hopes of making his debut for the Navy Blues were in danger of being shattered when he suffered a back injury against Darley last Saturday.

O’Loughlin agreed there would have been players who would have thrown up their arms and pulled out of an inter-league program.

Not Short though.

O’Loughlin said Short had gone out of his way in recovery with massage and physiotherapy, importantly with the full backing of Sunbury coach Ben Jordan.

He said Short had been close to BFL representative selection in the past, but this was the first time he had made the team.

O’Loughlin said he had jumped at the chance and been determined to play.

Short will fill a key defensive role in a team which O’Loughlin said more than ever had been picked to ensure Ballarat fielded a well balanced line-up.

He said it was easy when selecting squads to largely target the best players, no matter what position they played. O’Loughlin said it was no good having a majority of midfielders.

O’Loughlin and his coaching panel had focused on getting players for particular roles – tasks which would provide the right match-ups for Bendigo.

He said Bendigo traditionally fielded a highly skilled combination.

“We’ve put together a team to match that.”

This is O’Loughlin’s second year in charge of the BFL’s senior representative, in what is also the second season of the new competition format which mixes country and metropolitan leagues.

Ballarat suffered a three-point loss to the metro-based Western Region last year.

O’Loughlin said although this season’s preparation had been shorter, with just three light training sessions, he believed the BFL was better prepared.