A 44-strong under-18 boys squad was confirmed by the Bushies recently, with strong Goulburn Murray notes to the latest batch of talent to don the purple, black and gold in 2026.
Connor Breheny will fly the flag for Benalla at the Bushies this season, having returned to the Saints following a stint in the Ovens and Murray League, with the towering key position player set to make an impact at Talent League level this season.
Benalla is one of seven Goulburn Valley League clubs to boast Bushrangers representatives this year, alongside Murray Football League outfits Rumbalara and Nathalia.
The final 44 was whittled down from rounds of match simulation, athletic testing and training runs, with coach Justin McMahon admitting the process of elimination was as tough as ever.
“It’s always difficult, that time of the year, when we have to make some decisions and there were some guys who were really unlucky in that space,” he said.
“We’ve tried to give some solid feedback for the ones that missed out, and hoping that they can keep progressing their footy as well.
“The one thing about this space is that players develop at different rates and times and there’s lots of evidence of mature aged recruits making their way onto AFL lists as well.”
It is well known that the pathway to the AFL isn’t exactly linear.
Former Bushrangers graduates Tom Rockliff and Sam Durham are shining examples of players overlooked in the AFL National Draft who went on to enjoy stellar top flight careers, and there’s sure to be a few diamonds in the rough among the current crop.
That said, some Bushies are already blinking brightly on AFL club’s radars.
Shepparton United and Rumbalara product Tanner Armstrong has seen plenty of hype over the past two seasons as part of Richmond’s Next Generation Academy, while Shepparton’s Angus Williams joined Armstrong at a Victoria Country training camp back in January.
McMahon also identified the likes of Rhys Osborne (Mooroopna), Archer Hueston and Hunter Howells (Shepparton) after solid pre-seasons, while also noting “there’s some bottom aged guys that we’re excited about who’ll get their opportunity as well.”
“We feel like we’ve selected the best squad we could from the what we started with, and we’ll see how that stacks up against the rest pretty soon,” he said.
“Similar to the players, you get to this point of the year and you get really excited by the prospect of playing, and I’m probably as excited as the players and the rest of the staff as is.
“We’re two weeks out from round one against Gippsland, so I think everyone’s got one eye on that and we’re all looking forward to it.”
Murray Bushrangers begin the 2026 Coates Talent League campaign on Sunday, March 22 against Gippsland Power at Kennedy Community Centre.
In the meantime, the Bushies have already undertaken league-wide athletic testing in Melbourne on Saturday, completing recovery at Ikon Park, before rounding out the weekend with a practice game against Bendigo Pioneers on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Bushrangers’ under-16 girls side got off the mark last weekend, beating Greater Western Victoria Rebels 9.10 (64) to 6.10 (46) as Cobram’s Mereani Lecanadau was named among the best.
Murray Bushrangers under-18 boys squad - GV representatives
Connor Breheny (Benalla), Mac Calleja, Rhys Osborne (Mooroopna), River Freeman (Nathalia), Jamaron Atkinson (Rumbalara), Rory Kennedy, Josh Porter (Seymour), Ryan Ash, Maelan Allan, Lincoln Brand, Hunter Howells, Archer Hueston, Jack Mellington, Spencer Sharp, Alex Whitlock, Angus Williams (Shepparton), Dash Smith (Shepparton Swans), Tanner Armstrong, Blake Sofra (Shepparton United), Patrick McCarthy (Tatura)
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