An invite from a former housemate to make up the numbers in Geelong Amateur’s reserves has led to an unlikely appearance at senior level for St Mary’s premiership captain Jacob Welsh.
Welsh, who last played with Wimmera league club Stawell in 2024 while living on the Gold Coast, was coaxed into playing against Drysdale at the end of June by Ammos’ vice-president Jaxsyn Scholes with the lure of playing alongside former Saints teammate Ben Lavars.
Welsh then appeared against Newcomb following the AFL Barwon bye before earning a surprise senior call-up for last week’s loss to Queenscliff.
“They were severely short on players,” Welsh told K rock Football’s Beyond the Boundary.
“He (Scholes) dangled Ben Lavars in front of me and said, ‘Oh, Benny’s going to come down and play’.
“I played footy with Benny in 2010, so I was like, ‘Happy days’.
“I needed an outlet anyway, so I started running around, and it’s been good fun. It’s been a great club to be a part of so far.
“And then, (the) competitive juices get flowing where you want to push for the senior team.”
Welsh showed he has plenty to offer in the clash with the Coutas, tallying 15 disposals, five tackles and four clearances.
“One of the other reasons I wanted to go there is because there are so many old GFL players who have rolled back,” he said.
“’Kersh’ (co-coach Riley Kershaw), for example, we used to have words every time we played and used to butt heads a lot.
“The likes of ‘Ferg’ (Riley Ferguson), Jai Sheehan, Mitch Day.”
Welsh admits he hadn’t done a lot of football-based training before earning his senior call-up but is now locked in as Geelong Amateur chases a first flag since 2016.
“I’ve been doing my own stuff on the side, like constantly,” he said.
“With work and stuff, I’ve put it on the wayside because I had no intentions of really playing ones – I would have been happy playing twos.
“Now I’ve got a seven-week block.
“I’ve never been the best kick ever, so as long as I can tackle a few people.”
With Queenscliff two games clear of both Geelong Amateur and Torquay, this weekend’s clash between the Pegs and the Tigers at McCartney Oval is shaping as a likely qualifying final prelude.
Riley Ferguson is back for his first appearance since the Round 10 win over Portarlington, while Jacob Sharp, who hasn’t played since Round 1, has been named in Ammos’ squad.
Travis Boak, Hugh Trigg and Ned Turner loom as three handy inclusions for Torquay. However, big man Spencer Meagher will be sidelined after dislocating his shoulder against the Demons.
Queenscliff (1st, 15-2) has named the prodigiously talented Max Annandale for his first senior appearance with the club since 2021 ahead of the clash with Ocean Grove (10th, 3-11) at Queenscliff Recreation Reserve.
Since that time, the raking left-footer has spent time in the WAFL and with GFNL club Leopold.
Annandale made two senior appearances with the Lions in 2025 before heading overseas.
He kicked five goals for the Coutas reserves last week, proving to coach Heath Jamieson he’d done enough for a senior call-up.
Jake Lindrea is back after missing last week’s win over Geelong Amateur.
Che Durran (managed) and Ned Coffey are the outs for Queenscliff.
The Grubbers have included Harry Rolfs and Rhys Devlin for Kirby Reilly and Shannon Waldron.
The talented Josh Saltalamacchia will play his first match in over two months when Newcomb (6th, 7-7) faces fellow finals aspirants Drysdale (8th, 6-9) at PlasterCom Oval.
Saltalamacchia, who ruptured his medial collateral ligament and partially tore his anterior cruciate ligament, is one of two inclusions for the Power, with Tom Courtney also returning.
They replace veteran big Jarrod Stafford and Judd Smith, who have been omitted.
The Hawks welcome back star James Breust after he missed last week’s win over Ocean Grove at the expense of Mitch Clark.
Barwon Heads (4th, 9-5) has been forced into four changes ahead of its tricky trip to Mt Moriac Reserve to take on Modewarre (9th, 4-11).
Finn Cornell and James Syddall have entered the concussion protocol and won’t be seen again until the crucial Round 19 meeting with Newcomb at the earliest.
The Seagulls have also lost premiership pair Charlie Hurst (calf) and Michael Philp (hamstring).
Under-18 Miller Moulton is among the inclusions after representing St Ignatius College during the weekend.
Surf Coast (11th, 1-13) will be strengthened by the return of Tommy Stephen, Luke Cartelli, Mitch Hovey and co-captain Dylan Flanigan for its clash with Anglesea (5th, 7-7) at Summertime Pools Oval.
Cayden Geljon, Tom Young, Will McCartney and Ignacio Lopez Basavilbaso have been omitted from the team, which was well beaten by Modewarre before their bye last week.
The Roos will go in without Jack Walters, Harry Ling, Cam Hutchinson and Josh Jaska, with Brodie Cambridge omitted.
They’ve been replaced by Ethan Barry, James Gray, Kalani Brown, Max Simpson, and Charlie Lawless.
Portarlington (7th, 7-8) has the bye.
More to come
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