Benalla senior coach Nick Pearson will head up the interleague expedition to Elsternwick Park in July when the GVL faces the Victorian Amateur Football Association, and the Saints mentor is up for the challenge.
“It’s a great opportunity and there's not a lot of people that can say that they've put their name to coaching a representative side, in particular one as strong as the GV,” Pearson said.
“I'm quite honoured and I'm really looking forward to the challenge ahead.”
Pearson will be joined on the sideline by Shepparton United’s Trent Freer and line coach Peter Banfield, while also leaning on the expertise of Benalla champion Will Martiniello.
The incoming GVL coach will bring his own unique take on the format while flagging a different approach in the build-up to make it a special outing for the players involved.
And in hoping to atone for last year’s 77-point defeat to the O&M, he’s hoping to bring in some top-line talent to don the purple and gold and go toe-to-toe with the powerhouse metropolitan league.
“I think these types of games, you've got to approach them completely different to how you're going to coach a club team,” Pearson said.
“We’re looking to stay up in Melbourne for the Friday night and attend a pregame function with the VAFA and their cohort, and then a postgame function as well where the families come along, so we're looking to do that stuff quite differently.
“I'm pretty vocal on it - we want the best of the best.
“I really want Riley Mason from Seymour, Callum Brown from Mansfield, Mitch Trewhella from Rochy.
“We really want the best of the best and we want everyone to put their hand up to want to do it.
“We had a good meeting with the league and came up with some plans and processes and some things we want to make sure it's a really special occasion for our playing group.”
The under-19s will also do battle with the VAFA equivalent, and it will be Ramadan Yze in charge of the league’s rising stars for a fourth year.
Before then, the GVL’s newly minted senior boss will get his first taste of league action when he stands the sideline for Benalla’s round one stoush against Seymour at Benalla Showgrounds on Saturday.
The Saints have received an early boost for the Lions match-up, with Williamstown midfielder Toby Triffett set to pull the boots on for the first time in the GVL.
“He’s nearly 100 games into his VFL career and he's available for us round one - that's massive,” Pearson said.
“He’s come off the back of 32 disposals and a goal against Frankston in round one and had another great game (at the weekend) against Carlton in their win.”
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