The development squad’s program takes place between October and March each year and is designed to build the fitness and skill levels of players before the start of the GSFL football season.

Set up by Claremont premiership players Darrell Panizza, Phil Gilbert and Andrew McGovern, the program invites football players from across the Great Southern aged between 15 and 21 each year to participate.

The program is supported by the Claremont Football Club which monitors the progress of impressive players through their involvement in the squad.

Panizza, who is the GSFL’s football operations manager, said the launch was fantastic but only the start of things to come.

“We have had 90 players register for the program so far but we will accept more talented players,” he said.

“The program has also attracted outstanding sponsorship.”

The aim of the program is to create an elite environment to strengthen football in the Great Southern region.

WA Football Commission high-performance coach Robert Wiley also conducted football-coaching sessions on the day.

Any player interested in joining the squad should go to the team’s training session at Albany’s North Road athletic field any Monday at 5pm, or the Railways Football Club on Wednesdays at 5pm.