On your marks....The Standard's fantasy WDFNL, HFNL football Olympics

A big event: Warrnambool's Austin Steere, Russells Creek's Taylem Wason, Cobden's Jesse Williamson, Port Fairy's Hamish Gleeson, Portland's Josh Jenner and Kolora-Noorat's Ben Reid are among the 100-metre fields. Pictures: Morgan Hancock, Chris Doheny, Anthony Brady and Justine McCullagh-Beasy

With the Tokyo Olympics' opening ceremony on Friday night, there's plenty of buzz about the south-west exports competing.

Athletics is a feature of the Olympics and arguably showcases sport in its purest form - running, jumping and throwing.

They're skills that help form the basis of Aussie Rules football.

For a bit of fun, The Standard has put together fields for track and field events in an imaginary athletics carnival. Not all events are included.

The fields are made up of Hampden and Warrnambool and District league players The Standard feels would make a competitive race/event.

The coaches have been consulted for their best sprinters, endurance runners, jumpers and strongest players.

SPEEDY: Terang Mortlake recruit Brodhi Carracher has added pace to the Bloods' team. Picture: Morgan Hancock

100m

Taylem Wason (Russells Creek)

Josh Jenner (Portland)

Hamish Gleeson (Port Fairy)

Casey Simms (Dennington)

Dylan Parsons (Panmure)

Jesse Williamson (Cobden)

Harry Sumner (Camperdown)

Ben Reid (Kolora-Noorat)

Austin Steere (Warrnambool)

Jackson Grundy (North Warrnambool Eagles)

Brodhi Carracher (Terang Mortlake)

Max Green (Hamilton Kangaroos)

Will Benallack (Timboon Demons)

Taj Anderson (Cobden)

Eagles coach Adam Dowie was pleased to put Grundy's name forward - "We did a sprint elimination about a month ago and much to everyone's amazement, Jacko won!"

Warrnambool's Austin Steere is renowned for kicking goals on the run. Ben Reid is lightning quick in the Power's forward line.

GOT IT: South Rovers' Aaron Seabrook can cover the ground quickly. Picture: Anthony Brady

200m

Mitch Annett (Merrivale)

Jayden Annett (Merrivale)

Aaron Seabrook (South Rovers)

Sam Alberts (Russells Creek)

Cooper Day (Allansford)

Jack Walsh (Portland)

Mat Rook (Russells Creek)

Connor Peters (Portland)

Clem Nagorcka (Koroit)

Magnus Howells (Hamilton Kangaroos)

Hamilton Kangaroos coach Gerard FitzGerald said Howells had a history as a sprinter.

"Magnus competed for Monivae (College) right through to state in the 100m and 200m," he said.

PACE: Greater Western Victoria Rebels' Tom Baulch (Koroit) is a strong runner. Picture: Adam Trafford

400m

Sam Grinter (Russells Creek)

Darcy Graham (Warrnambool)

Jake Edwards (Portland)

Jock Blair (South Warrnambool)

Jacob Linford (Russells Creek)

Brad Bull (Warrnambool)

Tom Baulch (Koroit)

Tom Scott (Hamilton Kangaroos)

Rhys Buck (Allansford)

Darcy Povey (Russells Creek)

Grinter gives his all for the Creekers and runs all day.

Fitzgerald said Scott would be in with a good shot.

"He'd run low 50s for the 400m, young Tommy. He'd take a bit of beating," he said.

RUNNING MACHINE: Russells Creek's Dan Nicholson is an endurance specialist. Picture: Anthony Brady

800m

Dan Nicholson (Russells Creek)

Joel Moloney (Kolora-Noorat)

Andy McMeel (Port Fairy)

Tom Keast (North Warrnambool Eagles)

Daniel Jackson (Portland)

Colby Rix (Old Collegians)

Jack English (Hamilton Kangaroos)

Luke Ryan (South Rovers)

Bronte Baker (Dennington)

Dylan Willsher (Nirranda)

Dan Nicholson and Joel Moloney are endurance kings and have been dominating in the WDFNL.

CLOCKING UP THE KILOMETRES: Kolora-Noorat's Luke McConnell is considered a strong runner. Picture: Anthony Brady

1500m

Zach Sinnott (Camperdown)

Hamish Sinnott (Camperdown)

Zac Timms (Russells Creek)

Louis Kew (Panmure)

Luke McConnell (Kolora-Noorat)

Blair McCutcheon (Merrivale)

Nic O'Connor (Cobden)

Patrick Smith (Cobden)

Dave Denboer (Portland)

Jarryd Hay (Terang Mortlake)

Angus Noske (Hamilton Kangaroos)

Ben Matthews (Timboon Demons)

Another one for the midfielders with a big tank. Chris Bant put Louis Kew's name up for the marathon as well so he must be leading the long runs at Panmure pre-season.

"He kept winning the two-kilometre time trial so we'd enter him in the 1500m," Fitzgerald said of Noske.

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN: Camperdown footballer Harry Sumner made his senior debut earlier this season. He is considered a speedster. Picture: Chris Doheny

4x100m relay

Ben Reid (Kolora-Noorat)

Taylem Wason (Russells Creek)

Austin Steere (Warrnambool)

Harry Sumner (Camperdown)

Hard to pick but it would be good to see the league's combine for the team events. Baton changes essential.

RUNS ALL DAY: Darcy Graham often leads Warrnambool's pre-season running programs. Picture: Morgan Hancock

4x400m relay

Sam Grinter (Russells Creek)

Jake Edwards (Portland)

Jock Blair (South Warrnambool)

Darcy Graham (Warrnambool)

LEAP: Josh Dwyer's ability to jump helps him across Port Fairy's back line. Picture: Chris Doheny

High jump

Reggie Barling (Dennington)

Dylan Burns (Russells Creek)

Jack Dowd (South Rovers)

Lachie McLeod (Panmure)

Nick Hoare (Kolora-Noorat)

Zac Sandow (Merrivale)

Ben Berry (Cobden)

Josh Dwyer (Port Fairy)

Brendan Richardson (Camperdown)

Jackson Grundy (North Warrnambool Eagles)

Jarrod Korewha (Koroit)

Matthew Petherick (Old Collegians)

Joe Arundell (Terang Mortlake)

Hugh Douglas (Hamilton Kangaroos)

Tom Lindquist (Timboon Demons)

Matthew Petherick has taken some of the biggest screamers, including one over former Nirranda player, Gary Robinson, in 2019.

"Hughy would be 195cm, lean and tall and looks like a high jumper," FitzGerald said of Douglas.

HANDY: Russells Creek's Leigh McKane has the assets to compete in long jump. Picture: Morgan Hancock

Long jump

Zavier Mungean (Allansford)

Tom Smith (Russells Creek)

Leigh McKane (Russells Creek)

Jude Forth-Bligh (Russells Creek)

Sam Giblett (Cobden)

Jacob Moloney (Panmure)

HOP, SKIP, JUMP: South Warrnambool's Ollie Bridgewater would be a capable triple jumper. Picture: Morgan Hancock

Triple jump

Dylan Cox (South Rovers)

Ben Howard (Warrnambool)

Zeke Reeves (Panmure)

Ben Malcolm (Portland)

Josh Edwards (Portland)

Ollie Bridgewater (South Warrnambool)

Some versatile types in this event as it requires speed, strength, hops and coordination (hop, step, jump).

STRENGTH: Cobden's Christian Koroneos would be a tough shot put opponent. Picture: Chris Doheny

Shot put

Dylan Herbertson (Russells Creek)

Zeb McKenna (Dennington)

Tom Mahony (Panmure)

Christian Koroneos (Cobden)

Will Rowbottom (Camperdown)

Jake Wilson (Portland)

Jesse Dalton (Nirranda)

Marcus Hickey (Timboon Demons)

Cameron Whyte (Hamilton Kangaroos)

"If you had an event with any power in it, we'd enter or train up Cam. He's a big-bodied boy who has taken over the ruck and is sharing ruck duties with Lachie Waddell," FitzGerald said of Whyte.

"He is a 193cm powerful boy. We'd have to train him up I would've thought.

"He's a good lad, he'd probably say 'righto Fitzy, if you say so, I'll give it a go but what's the event again?'."

MULTI-TALENTED: Merrivale's Nathan Krepp was a handy field athlete. Picture: Anthony Brady

Javelin

Justin Fedley (Allansford)

Luke Pearson (Dennington)

Abel Farrell (South Rovers)

Tom Wilson (South Rovers)

Nathan Krepp (Merrivale)

Kallan Melican (Panmure)

Sam Hampshire (Portland)

Jade Bellman (Nirranda)

Sam Wilson (Russells Creek)

Dennington coach Ben Thornton mentioned Pearson was really good at javelin.

VERSATILE: Russells Creek's Jyran Chatfield would be a handy discus competitor. Picture: Anthony Brady

Discus

Nathan Krepp (Merrivale)

Phil Chatfield (Russells Creek)

Jyran Chatfield (Russells Creek)

Matt Sully (Port Fairy)

Sam Cowling (Warrnambool)

Ben Robertson (Panmure)

Tom Sharp (Portland)

Josh Saunders (South Warrnambool)

Ryan O'Connor (Terang Mortlake)

Jayden Watson (Koroit)

Portland coach Jarrod Holt revealed Sharp represented Australia in the nation's inaugural Kabaddi team at the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup held in India. It's a highly strategic contact sport.

Krepp has represented Australia in throws and spent time at Victorian Institute of Sport.

He smashed a schools' state championship record in his age group for discus in 2012. He also won shot put and came second in javelin at that event.

JACK OF ALL TRADES: Koroit's Jack O'Sullivan has the athletic traits to compete in a decathlon. Picture: Anthony Brady

Decathlon

Matt Sully (Port Fairy)

Dylan Parish (North Warrnambool Eagles)

Tom Wright (Panmure)

Jock Blair (South Warrnambool)

Ben Threlfall (Nirranda)

Jack O'Sullivan (Koroit)

Dowie said Parish because "anywhere he plays we are a bit in awe of what he can do so reckon he could turn his hand to that".

South Warrnambool coach Mat Battistello said Blair "on all athletic activities" so it's a no-brainer to put him in this field.

Nirranda mentor Brayden Harkness said Threlfall was a bit of Jack-in-the-box. "He has a nice leap on him and takes a hanger every few weeks," he said.

Harkness said the Blues gun could do decathlon because he was "so talented at everything he tries his hand at".

STRONG: Kolora-Noorat coach Ben Walsh believes forward Ben Fraser (pictured) would be a competitive weightlifter. Picture: Nick Ansell

Coach nominations for other Olympic events

Marathon

Matt Field (Camperdown)

Louis Kew (Panmure)

Weightlifting

Ben Fraser (Kolora-Noorat)

Jacob Mahony (Kolora-Noorat)

Jason Moloney (Kolora-Noorat)

Jesse Gallichan (Camperdown)

According to coach Ben Walsh these are some of the Kolora-Noorat players that fancy themselves in the gym!

Basketball

Scott Judd (Kolora-Noorat)

Justin Wallace (Kolora-Noorat)

Ben Reid (Kolora-Noorat)

Kurt Smith (Port Fairy)

Cycling

Bailey Kemp (Kolora-Noorat)

Karate

Lochie Davis (Cobden)

Boxing

Charlie Darcy (Cobden)

Jack Hearn (Port Fairy)

Shane Savage (Port Fairy)

Wrestling

Sam Mahony (Panmure)

Dion Johnstone (North Warrnambool Eagles)

"Pound for pound hard to match, plus a fair amount of competitive drive, good combination," coach Adam Dowie said of Johnstone.

Ultramarathon

Jaxon Johnstone (North Warrnambool)

Dowie recounted a funny story of when Johnstone turned up to pre-season training at Logan's beach last summer. "It had been high 30s that day. I asked him what he had been up to and he said he ran from Warrnambool to Allansford and back. I couldn't believe it!"

Tennis

Josh Parsons (Panmure)

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