DAN Butler and Darcy Tucker will again line up for Vic Country in the National AFL Under-18 Championships.
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Fresh from a win over Vic Metro in its opening match of the carnival, Vic Country faces South Australia in Adelaide on Sunday.
Butler (Lake Wendouree) and Tucker (Horsham Saints) are among four changes for North Ballarat Rebels, which meet Sandringham Dragons at Eureka Stadium on Saturday.
Rowan Marshall and Luke McLeod have been lost to injury. Angus Cleary, Ben Lakin, Xavier Vearing and Sam Jasper have been included. Cleary, from Casterton, and Lakin, from Horsham Demons, are making their TAC Cup debuts.
The Rebels have turned around their season with three wins in a row. This has lifted them to ninth and one win outside the top eight after losing the opening four rounds. North Ballarat has rolled Oakleigh Chargers, Northern Knights and country rival Gippsland Power – the latter despite inaccurate kicking of 9.19.
Sandringham is fifth with five victories, but the Dragons have been missing their form of late.
MEANWHILE, seven North Ballarat Rebels under-16 development players have been selected in the final Vic Country under-16 squad for the national championships.
Todd Lawrence (Lake Wendouree), Kyden Jarvis (South Warrnambool), Jarrod Korewha (Koroit), Shannon Beks (South Warrnambool), Todd Clode (Casterton), Sam White (Mt Clear via Hopetoun) and Jarrod Berry (Horsham Saints) will play in the carnival on the Gold Coast from July 5. Vic Country meets South Australia first-up.
NORTH Ballarat Roosters will be without a representative in the VFL representative team to meet the SANFL at Port Melbourne on Saturday.
Nick Rippon missed out on making the final 25 name on Thursday.
david.brehaut@dairfaxmedia.com.au