A busy off-season has seen the recruitment of some very good talent.
2009 Woodrow medallist Matt Fieldsend returns after 4 years at Casey and Port Melbourne, 2011 B & F Sam Williams is back after 2 seasons at Collingwood VFL while promising young ruckmen Ant Forato joins us from Frankston VFL. Tom Curry, captain of the school 1st XVIII in 2007, is back from Huntly and we are very pleased to report he bought a ruckmen with him in Charlie Thorpe. Josh Slade, a young midfielder from country Victoria, has been recruited after spending 2013 with Sandringham VFL.
However the big story is the number of players with senior experience returning from travel, injury, work commitments or other absences. The list includes Tom McMahon, Ben Oakley, Josh Oakley, Tyson Parker, Aaron Kneebone and Ed Murphy.
Joel Mattiske, Jordan Bull, Hamish Ramsay, Aaron Wheatley and Sefton McGraw head a list of current or graduating U19s likely to press senior selection. They join Charlie Haley, Michael Stizza and Liam Wood who all played regular senior football last season while still eligible for U19s.
Departures are mainly to country leagues. Sam Pickett, Jack Vickers and Al Roberts join Bairnsdale, Matt Hine to Mansfield, Nick Roberts to Meeniyan - Dumbalk and Luke Semmel to Rye. Sam Haslem has moved interstate for work and will play in Queensland while Hugh Nicholson, Brendan Close John Griffiths and James Hansen has transferred to EFL clubs. We have not been spared the ‘traveling curse’ that afflicts so many VAFA clubs with Justin Baxter, Damo Hale, Sam Brooks and Brad Wilson amongst those traveling for varying lengths of time. We hope to see them all back at some stage. 2013 Woodrow medallist Jake Williams is trying his luck in the VFL with Collingwood but will still play at De La when free of his VFL commitments.
So there you have it. Some boom recruits, a few departures and best of all plenty of familiar faces returning.
Last Modified on 08/04/2014 20:22
