A number of Riverina footballers have been named for their clubs when AFL test out a new, shortened version of the game this week.

Matt Kennedy, after being traded to Carlton last October, has been named in the Blues’ squad to play at Etihad Stadium.

Carlton will play games against Melbourne and North Melbourne in the round robin format.

Kennedy will run out alongside Henty product Harrison Macreadie for the Blues.

Other Riverina footballers set to experience the inaugural AFL competition after being named in their club’s squads are Luke Breust (Hawthorn), Harry Perryman (GWS), Jeremy Finlayson (GWS), Dougal Howard (Port Adelaide), Harry Cunningham (Sydney), Jake Barrett (Brisbane) and Elliott Himmelberg (Adelaide).

Cunningham said he is looking forward to a taste of AFLX.

“I’d love to have a crack at it,” Cunningham said when home in Wagga last week.

“You never really get to have a go on Allianz Stadium, which is the rugby league ground, so that would be awesome.

“It’s something that is new and exciting, it’s very fast pace. I’ve had one or two goes at it, it’s very up and down, there’s barely any stoppages, which I think is the purpose of it. It’s very taxing, which is something that is good for pre-season I guess, good for conditioning.”

The first AFLX games are played on Thursday night.

AFLX – WHO IS PLAYING WHERE

Thursday night in Adelaide: Adelaide, Port Adelaide, Fremantle, West Coast, Collingwood, Geelong

Friday night in Melbourne: St Kilda, Carlton, Melbourne, North Melbourne, Hawthorn, Essendon.

Saturday night in Sydney: Sydney, GWS, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Richmond, Western Bulldogs