Williamstown to play Subiaco in Practice Match
It may be January, but VFL minor premiers Williamstown and Subiaco will give footy fans their first taste of action for 2011 when they play a practice match at Medibank Stadium on January 20.
The Seagulls will travel to Perth for a pre-season training camp as they attempt to make up for losing last year's preliminary final. Former Subiaco premiership coach Peter German is in charge of Williamstown and he's made the most of his contacts to organise the camp.
The players will sleep at the Subiaco Football Club, tour Fremantle where German worked as an assistant coach, visit Patersons Stadium and sightsee at Rottnest Island and Kings Park as part of the week. "It's a really good opportunity for us to play on a bigger ground and see where the two leagues are at," German said.
"The competitions play dramatically different styles of game and we have to adjust to that. But this won't be a full scale match. There'll be some restrictions on what the guys are allowed to do. It'll be more about ball movement than tackling because it's so early in the year."
Five Williamstown players were picked in the VFL team of the year last year and one of those, Peter Faulks, is now on Fremantle's list. West Australian Brett Johnson and former AFL trio Ben Davies, Matt Little and Ben Jolley are among their star players.
A large group of Subiaco senior players are still in rehab, so their team won't be known until next week. Coach Chris Waterman said he was keen to use the match as a trial for his younger players who were attempting to make the squad.
German said the camp would give his players a unique opportunity to bond for 2011.
"I took Subiaco to Victoria for a game one year and remember Matt Priddis saying it was one of the best things he's done. It set up our year," German said.
"You've got to build rapport amongst the players and we get a big turnover of the squad because we have a lot of Western Bulldogs guys playing with us each week.
"This is a good opportunity for the new players in our team to come away and get to know each other. They've been fundraising to help pay for the trip."
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