Selection is under way for the Warrnambool, Horsham and Portland country weeks to be run in January, with WDCA chairman Gordon McLeod labelling the strong numbers trying out as an encouraging sign.

“(Wednesday) night we had our first trial for the under 17 country week squad and there was about 40 boys there,” he said.

“The talent that’s there, I think, exceeded previous years. We probably haven’t got the (same number of) star players, but a lot of players who are quite good.”

It is a similar story at under 15 level, where selectors have their work cut out for them to reduce a squad of 36 to 26 ahead of the Horsham Country Week.

The under 13 squad has already had its trial days, with a number of the juniors to use a match this Sunday up at Hamilton in a last bid to state their case for selection.

“The kids are pretty excited; there’s a lot of interest in going to country weeks,” McLeod said.

“That’s really encouraging, from the association’s point of view, that the kids see it as the pinnacle of their season, other than finals.”

The juniors’ representative season has already started, with inter-association games played at under 14, under 15,  under 16 and under 17 levels in recent weeks.

The under 14 and under 16 teams played Mount Gambier in the Cross Border Challenge last weekend. Both came away with wins.

McLeod said the WDCA was benefitting from being the only association in the south west to have an under 17 competition, with many others ending colts at under 16 level.

“We’ve had players from other associations come across to play in our teams and that has strengthened the competition immensely,” he said.

Clubs have also benefitted from the strong junior program, with a number of under 17 players also getting a run in the senior grades.

Woodford’s Tommy Jackson has been one who has really impressed, making 181 runs at an average of 30.17 in division one, on top of his 184 runs in the junior grade.

Junior country weeks will run in early January.