In the volcanic plains of Victoria, 200km south-west of Melbourne sits the unassuming town of Cobden.

With a population around 2000 and a title as the “Dairy Capital of the World” it may be surprising to know that the small town has a knack of producing talented and hard-as-nails AFL footballers.

But looking through 2019 AFL lists you will find five who called the Cobden Bombers their first club.

Cat Gary Rohan, North Melbourne’s Ben Cunnington, Docker Sean Darcy, Essendon’s Zach Merrett and last year’s number one draft pick Sam Walsh from Carlton are all products of the Otway town.

And they aren’t the only ones who have pulled on an AFL guernsey, with past players including John Rantall (the AFL/VFL games record holder for the town) and the Cats superstar Lord twins (Alistair and Stewart) also hailing from Cobden.

Rohan and Merrett will proudly represent Cobden at the upcoming Powercor Country Festival clash between the Cats and Bombers on Sunday. The Festival celebrates the important part rural communities play in not only sport but also Australia as a whole.

But batting above the average is something most country towns, including Cobden, are used to. And football is a big part of that.

Speaking to the Age in 2014, Rantall commented on what made his home town so special.

"It's great to come back here and be reminded how strong it is, how much tradition there is in AFL. That's their identity, they live by that. I'm glad that I'm back to see it."