SAM Walsh connecting with Jimmy Bartel and Shaun Higgins?
The three elite midfielders combine in the St Joseph's College Team of Champions unveiled this weekend to mark the 85-year history of the Geelong school.
From the 56 Old Collegians to have played at the highest level, the school has named a star-studded team including eight All-Australians and four League captains.
Geelong premiership skipper Cameron Ling (class of 1998) was charged with selecting team alongside two-time flag winner Bill McMaster (1946), former Western Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney (1977) and current Cats AFLW coach Paul Hood (1994).
Other key members of the side include Geelong triple premiership full-back Matthew Scarlett alongside his father John, Collingwood premiership skipper Nick Maxwell and dual All-Australian defenders Michael Mansfield and Tom Stewart.
The school, which doesn't provide scholarships for sport students, had 14 players on club lists in 2020 with at least one AFL game including Walsh, Higgins, Stewart, Luke Dahlhaus, Allen Christensen and Darcy Gardiner in the selected team.
The others include Jackson Nelson (West Coast), Sam Simpson and Jack Henry (Geelong), Tom Doedee (Adelaide), Tom McCartin and Matthew Ling (Sydney), Brayden Ham (Essendon) and Jasper Pittard (North Melbourne).
"With 14 past students currently playing at the highest level, we are sure some of them and some of our current students, will be in the team of 100 years at our centenary in 2035," principal Tony Paatsch said.
St Joseph's College Team of Champions 1935-2020
B: Tim Darcy, Matthew Scarlett, John Scarlett
HB: Michael Mansfield, Nick Maxwell, Tom Stewart
C: Leo Turner, Jimmy Bartel, Sam Walsh
HF: Luke Dahlhaus, Barry Stoneham, Kevin Higgins
F: Allen Christensen, Bill McMaster, Fraser Murphy
R: Damian Bourke, Cameron Ling (c), Shaun Higgins
Inter: Terry Callan, Jim Fitzgerald, Darcy Gardiner, Michael Woolnough
Coach: Brendan McCartney
