The job of restoring the Farrer League's representative reputation will rest - at least in part - on some young shoulders at Osborne on Saturday.
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Preparations for the game against the Hume League have been dominated by discussion about who's out rather than who's in, a trend that continued right up until the side's final training session on Thursday night, which saw Marrar full-back Adam Whyte withdraw due to tight hamstrings.
Until Wednesday night's Carroll Cup fixture brought him undone, Whyte was to be part of a quartet of the league's promising young talent thrown into the pressure cooker of senior representative football.
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But ruckmen Jack Cullen (Coleambally) and Jack Driscoll (The Rock-Yerong Creek) remain, along with North Wagga's Kane Flack, who will represent the league a week after his senior debut.
"It was really good, I loved it out there with the boys," Flack said.
Flack's first grade debut had been delayed due to his promise - commitments with Greater Western Sydney Under 18s Academy and the Giants' reserve grade side in the North East Australian Football League.
He admitted it's surreal to represent the league at senior level but believes it's a great opportunity.
"Definitely, and it'll be good to play some higher quality footy and just see how I'm going," he said.
Flack said he'll be listening to whatever coach Brad Aiken asks of him, and will approach the game the way he's been taught in his GWS opportunities.
"Just work-rate really (is the focus), and giving 100 percent," he said. "You don't have to shine as long as you try to win your one-on-ones, beat your opponent, and that's what Brad's been saying going into this week."
The Farrer League coach saw Flack's debut last week.
"I know he only just played his first first grade game but he's been playing national level footy and he's played some NEAFL," Aiken said. "It's not as though he hasn't played a higher level of footy. I think with his composure and his skills, he can surprise a lot of people and I've got no problems with him holding down a spot on a half-back-flank.
"He uses the footy quickly and his thought process to get rid of the footy and hit a target is quick. He's a talent."
Flack turns 18 next month. Driscoll and Cullen are still eligible for the 17s rep game. In fact, that's where they were likely headed a few weeks ago, until Nick Hull, Matt Carroll and Nick Molkentin were all ruled out of the senior squad.
"I trained with the 17s the other night and afterwards Brad came up and said, 'You right to play on Saturday in the seniors?'. I said, 'Righto, I suppose'," Driscoll said.
"Bit nerve-wracking, but we'll see how I'm feeling on Saturday."
He turned 17 last month, and made his first grade debut at TRYC late last season. He's played at Osborne on a permit previously and is familiar with the Hume League. Driscoll will come off the bench to relieve Cullen, who'll start in the ruck.
Like Flack, Cullen's been playing for the Giants under 18s. He's also played club football at Coleambally and North Albury.
"Jack's been playing national series and two weeks ago he played first grade in the Ovens and Murray League," Aiken said.
"They're all involved in the Giants academy and it's helping them play good footy."
Like his teammates, Cullen is expecting a tough and serious test against the Hume League.
But Aiken is backing the promising youngsters to complement the experienced footballers throughout the side, in his bid to field a team that can run after last year's Farrer League side was exposed by the Riverina League.
However, he's not about to pile the pressure of redemption on an almost entirely new side.
"At the end of the day, if we get beaten I can cop that. As long as we put in an effort and make a good account of ourselves," he said.
He said the injuries and unavailability of many in his initial squad meant his final 22 virtually picked themselves. But he's pleased with those selected to represent the league and the squad has the backing of Farrer League president, David Oehm.
"I'm very happy with the way Brad's coached and I'm on the same line as him - we only want players that want to play," Oehm said.
"We think it's not a bad side actually. I hope they'll represent the league well and I've been impressed with their approach to the game, their resolve and their willingness."
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