Country Championships: South West colts coach Brett Maguire backs in carnival’s split to two divisions

South West Country Championships colts coach Brett Maguire has backed the junior carnival’s split into two divisions, saying the move would bolster the quality of the competition’s finals. This year’s championships will see the colts competition separated into two tiers for the first time, with teams to play three pool stage games on Thursday ahead of third-place play-offs and grand finals on Friday. This year’s championships will see Peel and South West in the top division alongside Great Northern and Great Southern, with Regional Districts, Avon/Mortlock, Kimberley and West Pilbara in division two. In last year’s carnival, the South West came straight out of a bruising loss to Regional Districts into the decider, where they suffered a heart-breaking three-point loss to Peel. Maguire said extending Friday’s games from 20-minute halves into 20-minute quarters was another positive from the move. “You actually get a bit of a chance to refresh,” he said. “You’re not losing football, it’s just done a little bit different. “In (division one), those four sides, when it was just one division, we generally beat up on the other competitions.” Maguire said the change in format meant his side would need to be at their very best for every minute of their matches. “Realistically, you can afford to lose one game, but then you’re in the mix, you come back to the pack, so ultimately, you don’t want to lose any,” he said. “Great Northern and Peel play very competitive, very physical sort of football, the Great Southern side have got a bit more structure in what they do,” he said. “If you’re a little bit off, you do get exposed, that’s the challenge of the 20-minute halves if you start slowly.” The South West have traditionally been the dominant side in the colts Country Championships but have seen their hegemony challenged in recent years by Peel, who have ended three of the last four carnivals as the winners. Maguire said his side was desperate to reclaim the title. “We know if we bring our best, we’re right in the mix,” he said. “The guys who came last year and missed out (in the grand final), they’ve got that competitive spirit, that’ll drive them.” Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault — the South West Football League colts competition’s undefeated ladder-leaders — have the most representation in Maguire’s 27-player squad, with eight Lions selected. Several of Maguire’s charges have been regulars for their SWFL club’s league sides, including Carey Park’s Nico Le Roux, Bunbury’s Mason Hawkes, Riley Stenhouse and Kye Wright and Harvey Bulls’ Evan Hill and Spence Wiggers. All division one colts games on Thursday will be played at Scotch College, with the South West to take on Peel in a grand final rematch at 11am, Great Northern at 1pm and Great Southern at 3pm. On Friday at East Fremantle’s The Good Grocer Park, the division one grand final will start from 3.30pm, after the third-place play-off at 1.30pm. South West Country Championships colts squad: Mason Hawkes, Kynan Pridmore, Riley Stenhouse, Zeke Walker, Kye Wright (Bunbury), James De Morton, Reilly Johnstone, Kiedis Solberg (Busselton), Taj Beauclarke, Rhys Gardiner, Harry Jones, Tanner Reid, Nico Le Roux (Carey Park), Odinn Kirk, Noah Stewart, (Collie), Izaak Bedford (Donnybrook), Taj Edmonds (Dunsborough), Rohan Hann, Latrell May, John Manuel, Cruz McCagh, Kayden Panetta, Jacoby Parfitt, Emmett Templeton, Beau Sellick, (Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenaullt), Evan Hill, Spence Wiggers (Harvey Bulls).