LAST year when the Central West AFL side fell short in their bid to reclaim bragging rights over Northern Riverina in their annual clash, talented Bathurst Bushranger Nathan Belbin was not among those players who took to the field.

But come tomorrow when the Central West AFL outfit travels to Hillston, Belbin shapes as a crucial figure as they attempt to trump the hosts.

Northern Riverina have claimed victory in the last two meetings between the sides and though both were close matches, they proved too strong under pressure.

Five Bathurst Bushrangers will be in the side tomorrow – Peter Grundy, Paul Long, Jack Vogan and Matt Griffin, while Belbin will return having missed the 2014 match with a broken hand.

He is glad to be back, having become a regular fixture in the Central West squad in the years prior.

“I think this is the fifth or sixth time I’ve made it, the last one I played was two years ago when we hosted them at George Park,” he said.

“Orange have dominated this year’s side and that’s pretty well-deserved, they have won two competitions in a row and are obviously a very solid unit.

“It is always great fun to be involved in this game, we only get one chance each year to play representative football and it is definitely a major step up in terms of the standard.

“The Northern Riverina takes in a lot of pretty rural areas, the boys who play out there are big and strong – farm bodies I guess you could call them – and they are very physical with their footy, so the games are always tough.”

In last year’s match Northern Riverina snatched a 79-68 win. 

Twelve months earlier they got home 100-82, while Central West’s last win came by just three points in 2012.

Belbin said that one thing in his side’s favour is the familiarity between the players in the squad given how regularly they meet one another.

As well as the five current Bushrangers, former Bathurst talent and now Orange Tiger Paul Jenkins is a member of this year’s outfit. 

He is one of 12 Orange players who have been picked in the representative squad, the combinations those men form an important factor.

“There are a lot of guys in our team who’ve played together at this level before,” Belbin said.

“And on top of that, because we only have four teams in the competition at the moment, we’re playing the same guys on a really regular basis, so you get to know everyone from the other teams [Cowra, Orange, Dubbo] pretty well.

“We don’t get the opportunity to really train together for this game, but when we get on the field we’ll all know what each other is capable of and how we play.

“It is good to be in there with some of the other Bathurst guys, Paul Long is up there with the best players in our competition off halfback and Jack Vogan has a really big presence in the back line as well for a young guy. 

“I think my role will be somewhere in the midfield. One thing all the Bathurst boys are looking forward to is meeting Grant Daly who used to play with us. 

“He’s in Ungarie now and has made the Northern Riverina side, so there’ll be a few bragging rights on the line.”

CENTRAL WEST: Peter Grundy (Bathurst), Jack Vogan (Bathurst), Paul Long (Bathurst), Nathan Belbin (Bathurst), Ben Madigan (Dubbo), Mick Daley (Dubbo), Tim Barry (Orange), Matt Dippolito (Orange), Zac Forosenko (Orange), Dale Hunter (Orange), David Freeman (Orange), Daniel Bruce (Orange), Josh Bubnich (Orange), Leigh Turner (Orange), Michael Rothnie (Orange), Chris Rothnie (Orange), Paul Jenkins (Orange), Ben Monaghan (Orange), Shane Aspey (Parkes), Jacob Adams (Parkes), Brent Tucker (Parkes), Sam Herzich (Young), Andrew Nelson (Orange, emergency).