Historic Sydney-Canberra AFL rivalry re-ignites at Manuka

"It reminds me of the NEAFL days when Canberra Demons played Sydney Uni which was a big rivalry," ACT men's coach Kade Klemke said.

"It's a big deal. It's been a long time since we've played rep footy way back in 2016.

"So I know the guys are really excited to have this opportunity to play with the best of our comp, against another really good Sydney team."

Both AFL Sydney and AFL Canberra competitions have been paused this weekend so the players can be released to compete in the momentous game, where there's more than pride on the line.

After the game, the top players from both men's and women's teams will be selected to feature in combined Sydney-Canberra representative squads that will take on Tasmania's sides in Launceston on July 20.

"The return of rep footy is huge for our league," AFL Canberra women's coach Britt Tully said.

"It used to be the pinnacle of the competition to play in these matches.

"To the girls who were selected in the team, it means a lot to them because they're the very best in Canberra.

"We're hoping to put our best foot forward and win the game."

Former GWS Giants AFLW star Tully said the rise of the women's game in her time has seen a massive boost for the quality of footy at every level.

But she said there remains some female players who still pick up the game late.

Though those players still present AFLW potential, they can slip through the cracks due to their older age unless they are exposed to greater competition and selection opportunities like these representative games.

"I would hope the game continues every year now especially for those female players over 18, who don't have access to any of the AFLW academies anymore," Tully said.

"These games mean they can enhance their skills outside of club footy.

"You'll see now a lot of girls coming up who are 15-16 who have played footy their whole lives, but then you've got this gap between that group and the 20-and-over girls.

"They missed out on those grassroot opportunities to get seen by AFLW team selectors. Scouts will want to look at the best talent from the Sydney and Canberra region on Saturday."

Klemke is predicting a tough game against the Sydney men, but he's urged their rivals not to underestimate the talent from the capital.

"The ACT can be underestimated with the small amount of teams in our comp, but there's still some really good quality footballers," the regular Queanbeyan Tigers coach said.

"It'll be great to see how the guys go.

"It's going to be a pretty challenging contest, and for the guys that get picked for the Tassie game, that's definitely a big opportunity."

AFL NSW/ACT REPRESENTATIVE MATCH

Saturday: AFL Canberra v AFL Sydney at Manuka Oval, Women 12pm, Men 2pm.

The road to the Bob Hitchcock Shield goes through Jamison after Wests defied the odds to beat Tuggeranong in a John I Dent Cup thriller on Thursday night.

Wests lost ACT Brumbies-contracted fullback Declan Meredith to injury in the first half and two yellow cards saw the Lions reduced to 13 men before they went into the sheds trailing the previously unbeaten Vikings.

First glance would suggest the odds were insurmountable, only for Wests - buoyed by the return of Australian under 20s playmaker Cullen Gray - to pull off a second-half comeback to secure a bonus point and move to first on the ladder.

Wests will now look to defend the Bob Hitchcock Shield when they host Uni-Norths at Jamison Oval next week, with the silverware up for grabs whenever the current holders play at home.