The best of the PFL men's will face the best of WA State Country men’s this Friday at HIF Health Insurance Oval in the 30th game of a series dating back to 1988. The matchup returns after a five-year hiatus, with WA State Country leading the series at 15 wins to the PFL's 14.

The women's game gets things underway at 5:30 pm, with the men's game to follow at 7:30 pm. The game is free entry for anyone who wants to see the very best of WA’s local footy. Importantly, the night will be in support of FightMND, with a special halftime break from our friends at FightMND, as well as merchandise available throughout the evening.

Jackson Harwood returns as the head coach of the PFL men's side after a historic first win on Victorian soil for the PFL last year, 14.14 (98) to 14.8 (92). Harwood’s 26-man squad, he says, was deliberately selected with a sharp focus on getting a well-balanced side.

“A lot of our mids will flick through other positions as well. That flexibility of position has also come into it a bit with some guys and their willingness and ability to play well in other positions.”

“I've had a really good buy-in from the players. I didn't have to use my salesman pitch too much,” Harwood said.

10 out of the 26 players return from last year's squad, in addition to Keeshawn Cook and Jake Dugan, who return after stints away from the representative side. Braydn Furmark headlines the squad, representing the PFL for the sixth time since his first appearance back in 2019, in which he played alongside Dugan in the PFL’s last win against WA State Country.

“You want ball winners, you want runners on the outside. You want a good mix of talls and smalls in terms of your balance. Each line will have that,” Harwood said.

“It's pretty exciting playing with the best players in the comp and knowing that you've got quality on either side of you.”

Looking to bring back bragging rights to the PFL after just falling short in 2021, losing by 3 points, Harwood is clear on what his side needs to deliver with the short time they have together.

“It's literally dial in and get connection with the groups. I've actively tried to seek out coaches [and players] that I know that add value to the playing group and that are the kind of people you want around.”

WA State Country coach Craig Otto, in his second year, has assembled a squad spanning across 9 different leagues. Starting with a list of around 80 players, Otto whittled it down with a clear eye for what the matchup demands.

“I watched probably half a dozen A-grade games this year. So I do know how good the competition is. So we are picking a strong side.”

Otto’s tactical focus has been deliberate, as a former coach at Baldivis, he is fully aware of the contrasting styles.

“We've picked a pretty quick side. We lacked a couple of key backs last year against South Australia, so we've been very mindful of picking bigger bodies who can play lockdown and take intercept marks. The PFL has a strong forward contingent, so that's a key battle,” Otto said.

“The PFL is a much more structured style of football, with role-driven players and very clear positioning. Country football is more about ball ownership, moving the ball with accuracy through the regions, weaving our way through the paddock and looking to score off the rebound from half-back flank.”

The WA State Country side will only have one day to get used to the game plan, coming in on the morning of gameday as a team.

“Because it's a one-off game, I don't want to overcomplicate it. You want them to go out and run and use their ability. I'll educate the boys that the PFL will be well-structured and well-drilled, and we have to be mindful of that.”

On motivation, it seems both coaches understand the sibling rivalry atmosphere to the game that will spur it on, as Harwood explained:

“There's always a pride on the line with the state footy, especially. There's definitely going to be friends or cousins playing each other. So it's not hard to motivate some of those boys to want to crack in.”

If you're not able to make it to HIF Health Insurance Oval this Friday, the game will be live-streamed via the Perth Football League YouTube channel, which you can find here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWQxGmGQe_0

Written By Oliver Mcfarland