From Hobart Mercury
Reported by James Bresnehan
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TASMANIA will deliberately risk a thrashing against the powerful VFL at Blundstone Arena on May 26 to blood its young guns for future years of representative football.
After the state squad's first training session at Aurora Stadium last night, coach Adam Sanders said his youth policy was designed for the long haul, with the state set to play representative football every year until at least 2017.
This year's squad of 38 includes a smattering of older, more experienced players such as Launceston captain Scott Stephens, Burnie giant Jason Laycock and Glenorchy skipper Ben Reynolds.
The bulk of the side will be the State League's rising stars, like Brayden Webb (Glenorchy) and Jake Cox (Clarence), who will cut their teeth against the VFL and carry the state's hopes into future contests.
"We are pretty keen on this being a long-haul process," Sanders said.
"We were always going to get some negativity with this policy in place, but overall it's been pretty good and once people see the final team they will think it's pretty good. It won't be far off what we could put together as our best team in Tassie, while keeping an eye to the future."
The squad-of-the-future policy means some of the state's best players were given the cold shoulder by selectors.
Responding to criticism by North Hobart captain Nathan Street earlier this week -- he claimed the youth policy alienated the competition's older players -- Sanders said the door was open to any in-form player.
"It certainly doesn't rule out experienced players," Sanders said.
"We'd have seven to eight blokes in the squad who have played well over 100 TSL games.
"But we're not going to fill our side with 25-plus sort of players.
"All of younger blokes in the squad are playing good footy, like Webb and Cox, and some of these guys are nearly the best-performed blokes in the competition.
"It's a different policy and one we think will be beneficial to players going forward and hopefully something they strive to be involved in."
Sanders knows the dangers of a youth-ladened side, but knows every player wearing the "Map" will give his all.
"Do I expect to get flogged? No," Sanders said.
"Would it be a disaster if we did? I don't think so.
"As long as they are learning and we are going forward from this year and the players want to be involved for the long haul, that's what this is about."
The squad's next training session will be at Blundstone Arena on Wednesday.
