BRENDAN Fevola and Brian Lake are in contention to line up for Western Region against the Ballarat Football League in the inaugural AFL Victoria Community Championships.
The former AFL stars are two of the biggest names in community football in the state and have quickly grabbed the limelight in their debut seasons in the WRFL.
Fevola, who is still making special one-off appearances with clubs around the state – he played with Glenrowan in the Ovens and King league on Anzac Day – has joined division one club Deer Park.
Lake is playing with his hometown Caroline Springs in division two.
Western Region has selected an initial training squad of 53 to prepare for the clash with Ballarat at Footscray’s Whitten Oval on Saturday, May 21.
Ballarat is expected to name its training squad this week.
Fevola and Lake join Mark Williams and Wayde Skipper as AFL experienced players in the Western Region squad.
Williams (Hawthorn/Essendon) is coaching Newport in division three after crossing from Central Highlands league club Ballan, while Skipper (Western Bulldogs/Hawthorn) is with Hoppers Crossing in division one.
While Fevola and three-time Hawthorn premiership defender Lake have the potential the book-end the WRFL team, they could form a potent two-pronged attack.
Fevola already has a 10-goal bag this season, while Lake kicked seven goals on debut for Caroline Springs.
Western Region senior coach Anthony Eames said he was impressed with the talent assembled.
“We have received some strong support from within the competition,” he said.
“When you have a squad of the best players from the league you are going to be a very strong team, not matter what league are from. The players are committed, which is all we can ask for.”
Eames said with the game less than a month away the coaching panel was getting excited about the match.
“We are all fired up, but it is important we stay focused until the game and we get what we want out of the weeks leading up to the match,” he said.
Players from 12 different clubs across divisions one, two and three make up squad. Reigning division one premier Deer Park leads the way with 13 selections, but this does not include former Geelong and Melbourne player Shannon Byrnes, who is in his first year with the club.
