Four South Fremantle stars to represent WAFL against VFL

RYAN Cook, Tim Kelly, Ben Saunders and Haiden Schloithe will all represent the WAFL for at least a second time on Saturday up against the VFL at Melbourne's North Port Oval.

The WAFL State Team will take on the VFL at North Port Oval on Saturday attempting to become the first ever WA side to beat Victoria in Melbourne in history.

Cook, Kelly and Saunders all played in last year's win by Western Australia by a record margin of 134 points over Tasmania at Steel Blue Oval.

Now Cook is preparing to play for WA for a sixth time in just his seventh WAFL season for the Bulldogs.

Saunders will represent the WAFL for a third time and on his previous two occasions the triple Bernie Naylor Medallist has kicked five goals.

Kelly will back up his state debut last year as reward for his outstanding form in the midfield for South Fremantle.

Schloithe has also previously represented the WAFL back in 2014 when WA defeated the NEAFL in Sydney.

While South Fremantle's form this season has been rewarded with the four players selected, there was also Brock Higgins, Blaine Johnson, Marlion Pickett, Mason Shaw and Blayne Wilson who were in the initial squad who won't be there on Saturday.

The game will be televised live on Channel 7 from 12pm WA time on Saturday.

The final squad of 24 players was selected following Wednesday night’s training session, with Subiaco's Kyal Horsley named captain. Subiaco teammate Clancy Wheeler and East Perth’s Kyle Anderson were named vice captains.

The WAFL state team, coached by former AFL assistant and Claremont coach Michael Broadbridge, will be aiming to break a long drought against Victoria in Melbourne, having played 23 times since 1904 without a win.

The last game between the two states was played in WA in 2013 at Northam, with WA claiming its first win over Victoria in 22 years after kicking 10 goals to three in the second half to run out 17.16 (118) to 15.11 (101) winners.

Since then, a state football resurgence has seen WA win interstate matches against the NEAFL, South Australia and Tasmania to make it four consecutive state game victories.

WAFL STATE SQUAD
Claremont – Mitch Andrews, Jye Bolton, Jack Bradshaw
East Fremantle – Jonathon Marsh
East Perth – Kyle Anderson, Will Maginness
Peel Thunder – Leroy Jetta
South Fremantle – Ryan Cook, Tim Kelly, Ben Saunders, Haiden Schloithe
Subiaco – Corey Adamson, Lachlan Delahunty, Kyal Horsley, Leigh Kitchin, Jordan Lockyer, Clancy Wheeler
Swan Districts – Tony Notte, Kirk Ugle
West Perth – Aaron Black, Kody Manning, Luke Meadows, Shane Nelson, Andrew Strijk

VFL STATE SQUAD
Box Hill Hawks – Chris Jones, Andrew Moore, Sam Switkowski
Casey Demons – Bayley Fritsch, Jack Hutchins
Coburg Lions – Tom Goodwin
Collingwood – Jordan Kelly
Essendon – Alex Boyse, James Ferry, Nick Hind
Footscray – Nick Jamieson
Geelong – Tom Atkins
North Ballarat – Andrew Hooper, Nick Rippon
Northern Blues – Cam O'Shea, Tom Wilson
Port Melbourne – Jordan Lisle, Brody Mihocek, Brodie Murdoch, Tom O'Sullivan, Eli Templeton
Richmond – Sam Darley
Werribee Tigers – Matt Hanson, Michael Sodomaco
Williamstown – Brett Bewley, Michael Gibbons, Leigh Masters, Josh Newman