Tasmania's best under-25 players are chomping at the bit ahead of meeting Victoria Metro in a one-off representative match in Launceston.
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The side held its penultimate training session on Tuesday night at UTAS Stadium, which will also host the Tasmania Devils and the under-18 Allies come June 8.
Coach Jamie Hayward said the excitement around the playing group would result in sleepless nights in the lead-up to the match.
"The whole feel of playing for Tassie and the map and being at home with the Victorian side coming in on the back end of a day that has our Devils 18s boys playing the morning and then the Allies is really generating a lot of excitement within the playing group," Hayward said.
"We really want to make sure that the players have got the understanding of how big an undertaking it is to pull that jumper on and play for their state."
State League clubs supplied 29 of the 30 spots available, with Burnie talent Bailey Boag the only player selected from a regional club.
Lauderdale and Glenorchy boast huge representation with 10 and seven selections respectively, while reigning premier North Launceston and Launceston have eight between them.
Hayward said he was happy with the mix of players from across the state.
"The confidence we've got with what we've selected is really based on the fact that we've really had a great collaboration with the TSL coaches," he said.
"Every coach has had input into the selection process so far based on what they've seen at club level and club form and their understanding of those players, and we really need to make sure the side we select is suitable to position on the ground, so we're making sure that we're even across all the lines."
As well as the announcement of the final 23-man team, the next few days should see a captaincy appointment.
"There's been probably three or four names thrown around the locker rooms among the coaches which I won't divulge," Hayward said.
"There's half a dozen guys within that playing group that have demonstrated leadership capability both at club and the training sessions we've had so far.
"I don't doubt that we'll find one easily, it's just a matter of understanding who the right person is and a captain that the players are going to get behind."
Tasmania has not played an under-25 representative game since meeting the NEAFL in 2017.
UNDER-25 SQUAD
- James Holmes (Clarence), Aiden Grace, Ben Kamaric, Harrison Gunther, Callen Daly, Cameron Duffy, James Webb, Josh Grant (Glenorchy), Alex Saunders, Josh McGuinness, Sam Siggins, Henry Kerinaiua, Ben McGuinness, Phil Bellchambers, Rhys Sutton, Edward Trupp, Sam Burge, Nat Franklin (Lauderdale), Bailey Boag (Burnie), Brodie Palfreyman, Casey Brown, Jake Smith (Launceston), Callum Kilpatrick (North Hobart), Alex Lee, Jay Foon, Josh Ponting, Arion Richter-Salter, Sherrin Egger (North Launceston), Kieran Lovell, Elijah Reardon (Kingborough)
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