Semmens in race to be fit

COBDEN football ace Daniel Semmens will find out today whether he can join his teammates and participate in the Under 16 National Football Championships on the Gold Coast later this month. Semmens, already selected as part of a 25-man Victoria Country side, will undergo an extensive fitness test on his injured shoulder when he trains with TAC Cup side Geelong Falcons tonight.``The shoulder is not too bad at the minute but I have a fitness test today which will determine if I go or not,'' Semmens said.``I am really looking forward to it, it's a great honour, so hopefully my shoulder comes through.''Semmens injured his shoulder earlier this year and has been struggling to get back to peak fitness all season.``I played two weeks ago for Cobden and actually bruised my shoulder so I couldn't finish the game off,'' he said.Semmens is extremely confident that his shoulder will come through the fitness test unscathed and has got the backing of team manager Jock Whiting.``He got a knock on his shoulder the other week but we are very confident he will be right,'' Whiting said.``He is a great kid so it would be disappointing if he could not make the trip.'' Semmens, who plays on the wing for his beloved Bombers, models his game on his favourite players Chris Judd and Gary Ablett Jr and is aiming to one day play alongside his idols.``Hopefully I can one day play AFL. That would be the ultimate,'' Semmens said.``I barrack for North Melbourne but it would not worry me where I got drafted to as long as I got the chance to play in the AFL.''Semmens won't be the only player from the Hampden region to represent Victoria Country at the upcoming titles.Billie Smedts from North Warrnambool Eagles and Gus Pomorin from Emmanuel Hawks/ South Warrnambool have also made the team. Camperdown's Luke Mahoney was unlucky not to be selected in the initial squad but is on standby waiting for a late call-up as an emergency.``It will be great to have a few mates on the team, we can stick together and really help each other out,'' Semmens said.Former Fitzroy and Mortlake player Leon Harris will coach the Victoria Country side.