This year’s series on July 5 and 6 switches back to Berri, the scene of Central Zone’s sensational win in 2006 under coach Keith Nutt.

Now under the new zoning arrangements implemented by the SANFL, Nutt will take charge of a revamped Northern Zone team that consists of the previous Northern Cities combination plus the injection of Northern Areas Football Association.

The Northern Zone squad was picked during the week and they will train next Wednesday and the Wednesday after at Port Augusta. Representatives from the Roxby Downs competition are also eligible for selection in the NZ side and Keith Nutt will be at AAMI Stadium this Saturday to see a Roxby team take on Broken Hill for the Miners Cup as a curtain raiser to the Port Adelaide- Richmond AFL clash.

“There’s a couple blokes from up there who are apparently pretty handy,” Nutt said.

“So I’ll have a look at them (on Saturday) and we can add them to the squad if they go okay. But we are pretty happy with the blokes we have picked. Hopefully most of them make themselves available and its good that most of them seem pretty keen.”

The group will get together on June 25 for their first training run at Port Augusta and coach Nutt is confident the team they take to Berri will be competitive.

“Players like Burford and Keatley have played state country and so has Shillabeer,” Nutt said.

“That Chad Clothier is a good player, Nick Prokopec has played league and Greg Fiebig, Chris Stacey and Matty Coates are proven players at this level.

“We’ve got some good young blokes too, Ben O’Donohue is an exciting young player and so is Nathan Cunningham, I thought they were pretty good in the association games last week.”

Northern Areas players are: Mark Horner, Lee and Ben O’Donohue (Broughton-Mundoora); Matthew Jackman, Matt Coates (Crystal Brook); Matthew Woolford, Nathan Cunningham (Southern Flinders); Chris Stacey, Greg Farr (Jamestown-Peterborough). From the Spencer Gulf Football League are: Allan Margitich, Matt Turner, Marc Scollin (Solomontown); Chris Marsland, Brad Ley, Tom Harmer, Tate Bradley (Lions); Michael Burford, Norm Wombat, Tom Clarke, Brodie Mudge, Chris Stevens, Simon Treloar, Andrew Waters (Ports); Adam Zubrinich, Richie Hobbs, Nic Collins, Jason Lukich, Hadden Warren (West); Matt Keatley, D. Baker, Mark Fuller, A.Ruffles, Andrew Williams, N Callary (Centrals); Daniel Dohnt, Ian Brown, Matt Grantham, J Skipworth, Darren Shillabeer (South). And from Whyalla are: Aaron Smith, Bradley Page, Kane Grund, Greg Fiebig, Ryan Baker, Chad Clothier, Nick Prokopec, Daniel Smedley, Ray McIntosh and Dwayne Colson.