SWFL: Ladder-leaders Busselton lead the way in extended Country Championships senior squad

South West Football League ladder-leaders Busselton have led the way in an extended senior squad for next month’s Country Championships, having nine players selected on a 57-strong longlist

Liam Creighton, the SWFL’s leading goal kicker so far this season and the player of the final in last year’s tournament, is joined by fellow Magpies Ryan Ekert, Mitchell Cameron, Jalen Hoffman, Ky Meers — all of whom were recruited over the off-season — Jozef Parkinson, Jon Meadmore, Aidan Austen and Ben Ganzer.

Each of the league’s 11 clubs have at least two players selected in the squad and nine have four or more.

Bunbury, who trail the Magpies only on percentage with an 8-1 win-loss record, and fifth-placed Donnybrook have both had seven players picked, with Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault and Carey Park providing six apiece.

With the South West looking to defend a title they won back at last year’s championships, the squad includes only nine players who featured in the 11-point win over Avon in the final.

But it has been bolstered by a number of players who have joined the competition this year, including Durak Tucker (Bunbury), Jesse Crichton (Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault), Haydn Busher (Bunbury), Luke English (Collie) and Jason Carter (Eaton).

Somewhat surprisingly, reigning premiers South Bunbury have only four players in the squad, with recruit Jye Clark joined by Tom Gorter, Blaine Johnson and Kade Szyszka.

Undefeated colts ladder-leaders HBL have far and away the biggest presence in the 62-player colts squad with 14 representatives, ahead of Carey Park (eight), Busselton (seven), South Bunbury and Dunsborough (both six).

Both sides will be led by the same coaches as in 2024, with Seth White — who won the Dick Smith Trophy as the coach of the carnival in his first year in charge in 2024 — set to lead the seniors and the long-serving Brett Maguire in charge of the colts.

The senior championships will take place in Perth from July 11-13, with the colts to be played on July 10 and 11.

South West Country Championships senior squad: Byron George, Jed Spence, Ben Watson, Kieran Yakas (Augusta-Margaret River), Rohan Ashworth, Haydn Busher, Trae Field, Dylan Heasman, Denholm King, Baiden Parsons, Durak Tucker (Bunbury), Aidan Austen, Mitchell Cameron, Liam Creighton, Ryan Ekert, Ben Ganzer, Jalen Hoffman, Jon Meadmore, Ky Meers, Jozef Parkinson (Busselton), Enrique Aiken-Featherstone, Jaxon Bell, Jude Harrop, Jamie Meade, Reece Payne, Josh Ritchie (Carey Park), Matthew Burton, Teale DeAngelis, Luke English, Corey Holmes, Paul Rinder (Collie), Kristian Cary, Jordan Falco, Clayton Giblett, Jacob Kendle, Sam Perkusich, Ned Shannon, Zac Trigwell (Donnybrook), Noah Ash, Jake Green, Simon Moore, Max Paterson (Dunsborough), Jason Carter, Jack Cox, Bailey Nylander (Eaton), Ty Anderson, Jesse Crichton, Jack Fletcher, Jarrod Humphries, Blake Soulos, Zavier Williams (Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault), Hugh Menzies, Spence Wiggers (Harvey Bulls), Tom Gorter, Jye Clark, Blaine Johnson, Kade Szyszka (South Bunbury)

South West Country Championships colts squad: Leroy Anderson, Tomas Cassidy, Jared Cook, Robbi Kemp (Augusta-Margaret River), Mason Hawkes, Cody Johnson, Riley Stenhouse Zeke Walker, Kye Wright (Bunbury), Leonardo Guthridge, Reilly Johnstone, Tienan Murphy, James de Morton, Ruairi Bass, Hemi Reti, Kiedis Solberg (Busselton), Taj Beauclarke, Taj Houlahan, Nicholaas Le Roux, Tanner Reid, Sheldon Pickett, Rhys Gardiner, Sonny Epere, Max Di Lallo (Carey Park), Deegan Cummings, Max Ireland, Odinn Kirk (Collie), Izaak Bedford, Brock Zambonetti (Donnybrook), Corey Ballantyne, Dash Bridgham, Brody Giglia, Ben Scott, Kai Holman, Kai Vanderbeek (Dunsborough), Brock Dillon, Anthony Hansen, Taj Marshall (Eaton), Evan Hill, Jordan Rakowski, Mitchell Sermon, Spence Wiggers (Harvey Bulls), Quinten Bell, John Manuel, Jacoby Parfitt, Kynan Pridmore, Emmett Templeton, Cristian Tirli, Tom Ward, Brodie Hewer, Lattrell May, Kayden Panetta, Rohan Hann, Beau Sellick, Tyson Wallinger, Cruz McCagh (Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault), Wesley Higgins, Cooper Mattaboni, Declan O’Connor, Harrison Tarasinski, Giles West, Angus Holzhauser (South Bunbury)