14/3/13 – ESSENDON has continued its massive pre-season of recruiting in its inaugural season with Trent Shinners coming across from Bendigo. It has also snared Temora’s Sam Tagliabue.
7/3/13 – GEELONG is set to include delisted Gold Coast youngster Piers Flanagan on its final list this week.
He has been training with the VFL squad over summer.
6/3/13: NORTH Ballarat has suffered a blow with playmaker Nick Couch ruled out of the 2013 season with a knee injury.
FRANKSTON has pulled a major recruiting coup by snaring ex-Sandringham veteran David Gallagher.
Gallagher was a star for the Zebras in his prime and will add some much-needed experience to the Dolphins.
2/3/13: THE Werribee Tigers have added another talented forward – former Brisbane Lion Scott Clouston – to its list.
Clouston played at the Redland Bombers last season in Brisbane where he has won a best and fairest.
“He is coming off a club Best and Fairest year and Team of the Year selection and is exactly the type of player we have been looking to add to our forward structure. He was very popular in Brisbane with his team mates and supporters, so he is a good fit at Avalon Airport Oval. He has recently moved locally for work and we are really happy he is joining us,” Werribee coach Scott West said.
21/2/13: ESSENDON has signed Anthony Tipungwuti to the club’s VFL team for the 2013 season. Tipungwuti was a playmaker for last year’s TAC Cup runner up the Gippsland Power.
After the loss to the Oakleigh Chargers in the TAC Cup final, in which Tipungwuti made some breathtaking plays, Power coach Nick Stevens said: “I’d compare Tippa (Tipungwuti) to a Chris Yarran or an Eddie Betts at the same age.”
15/2/13: WERRIBEE has copped a blow on the eve of the season with playing assistant Leigh Harding leaving to take up a role with the Brisbane Lions as a development coach.
Harding said in a release: “It is a great opportunity to be involved at agreat club. I look forward to the challenges of fast tracking some of the young blokes into the AFL. I really thank Werribee for the opportunity to coach under Satts (Paul Satterley) and Westy (Scott West). I have learnt a lot and had a great time doing it.”
9/2/13: NORTH Ballarat has a bonus with Liston Trophy winner Steve Clifton returning after a stint with Greater Western Sydney.
Clifton was one of the Roosters top midfielders before being plucked as a rookie with GWS.
VAFA representative player Jackson Eade, son of Rodney Eade, has departed Old Camberwell and joined the BOX HILL HAWKS.
7/2/13: BOX Hill has plucked Sam Iles back from Gold Coast after a two year stint at the Suns.
General manager Everard Fenton, who will be replaced by Paul Barnard this month, said Iles still maintained hope of returning to the AFL ranks.
But the Hawks suffered a blow with Adam Pattison quitting the club with work commitments.
31/1/13: WERRIBEE has signed delisted North Melbourne forward Ben Warren and former Melbourne and Richmond midfielder Addam Maric. It also signed highly-rated Tasmanian state league forward and ruckman Ben Brown.
Arrivals:
Addam Maric (Richmond) 177cm/76kg
Brett Meredith (Sydney Swans) 181cm/81kg
Jarrod Moore (Sydney Swans) 178 cm/84kg
Kris Pendlebury (Collingwood VFL) 190cm/89kg
Rob Hicks (Doutta Stars/Richmond) 176cm/75kg
Luke McDonald (Trinity Grammar/Oakleigh Charges) 190cm/84kg
Ben Brown ( Glenorchy) 199cm/94kg
Michael Ross (Essendon VFL) 185cm/75kg
Ashlin Brown (Western Jets) 189cm/89kg
Billy Iles (Western Jets) 178cm/ 68kg
Darcy Fort (Geelong Falcons) 203cm/85kg
Cam Williams (Geelong Falcons) 196cm/88kg
Hugh Wales ( Myrtleford)
Ben Warren (North Melbourne list)
Morris Barlow Squad signings: Jake Armistead (Rockbank), Daniel Weigel (Lara), Billy Henderson (Bell Park), Jordan Carruthers (St. Mary’s), Samuel Zumbo (Greenvale)
Retained :
Castello, Bolton, Davis, Fairley, Graham, Harding, Jones, Keras, Laracy, Martinello, Mather, Purton-Smith, Reeves, B. Ross, Ruffles, Sharp, Sherlock, Sodomaco, Sullivan, Tudor, White, Wilson, Wormald
Departures :
Battaglia (GFL), Risol (WAFL), Harrison (work) Hartigan (AFL) Harper (work), Keast (travel), Lucas, Melisia, McCormack, Paliouras, Priest, Schibeci, Sheahan, Tom, Treloar, (suburban leagues) Moloney (Collingwood VFL) O’Dwyer (Canberra) Tuck & Mangan (SANFL).
Senior Coach Scott West summed up the list as it stands:
“I believe that we had a very successful recruiting period. We had a good plan and strategy which really worked. Retention this year was better than last year. The pleasing thing was we were able to retain Warren and add some top quality players like Meredith, Moore, Maric, Ross, Hicks and Pendlebury. I believe we have a very talented list going into 2013.”
28/1/13: ESSENDON’S VFL team has added some further experience to its VFL list with former Geelong player Matt Firman. Josh Freezer and Jacob Thompson join Ben Duscher as others that have crossed from former partner Bendigo.
FRANKSTON has bolstered its young squad further with the additions of some handy Dandenong Stingrays players including Jason Pongracic, who was regarded as one of the top talents heading into last year’s draft, Jake Calvert, Nick Newman, Josh Westerman, Ryan Morrison, Nic Tuddenham, Billy Rolfe and Ryan Marks.
PORT Melbourne has added Oakleigh Chargers players Nick Papaleo, Jake Hammond, Tim Macmillan and Northern Knights ruckman Sam Gilmore. The Borough, however, have lost defender Steven Brewer to Greenvale, while Jake Dermott has reportedly quit VFL footy also for the local leagues.
25/1/13: FORMER Melbourne forward Lucas Cook has signed with North Ballarat after two seasons as an emerging young talent at the Demons.
He spent the two seasons playing with the Dees’ affiliate Casey. He will continue to live in Melbourne despite joining the Roosters.
24/1/13: CASEY Scorpions have registered interest in axed Fremantle forward Jack Anthony, who is yet to decide on his playing future.
FRANKSTON is looking into regaining big man Russell Gabriel after his brief stint at East Fremantle.
The Dolphins confirmed they had touched base with Gabriel for a potential return for this season.
North Ballarat, meanwhile, has lost Derick Micallef and Nick Peters to the local Ballarat league. Both players were touted as potential AFL recruits but have, at least in the short term, given up on their dream career.
22/1/13: NORTH Ballarat will enjoy some new faces from affiliate North Melbourne, perhaps head-lined by US basketballer Eric Wallace, whose development will be in the spotlight at the Roosters in his debut season.
Other new faces include Kangaroos recruits Ben Jacobs (Port Adelaide, AFL), Taylor Garner (Dandenong Stingrays, TAC Cup) and Mitch Wilkins (Norwood, SANFL).
They will replace those that have moved on including Aaron Edwards (Richmond), delisted Gavin Urquhart and Matt Campbell and Cruize Garlett.
Meanwhile, SANDRINGHAM has announced its list of recruits so far this season below.
Cameron Banfield (Sandringham Dragons)
Tom Cameron (Murrumbeena)
Blaine Coates (Western Magpies – Qld)
Chase Coates (Western Magpies – Qld)
Pat Contin (Coburg/Richmond)
Zac Gibson (Sandringham Dragons)
Mitch Howes (Sandringham Dragons)
Charlie McAdam (North Albury/Darwin Buffaloes)
Joel McKee (Sandringham Dragons)
Ryan Minahan (Upper Ferntree Gully)
Kenny Ong (Sandringham Dragons)
Matt Taylor (Sandringham Dragons)
Pat Tiernan (Sandringham Dragons)
Dylan Wiekhardt (Maroochydore AFC)
Yilber Zajai (Sandringham Dragons)
17/1/13: Via TrueZebras, SANDRINGHAM has re-signed Ned Fallon and have also signed brothers Blaine and Chase Coates from the Western Magpies out of Queensland.
BENDIGO has also remained busy as it works to rebuild a list that has been decimated by Essendon’s new VFL team. The Gold have added two players from the Bendigo Pioneers (Jess Collins and Che Walls) as well as Ricky Thompson (Lalbert), James Brooker (Montmorency) and Nathan McCarty (Rochester).
9/1/13: ESSENDON is set to field a strong team in its inaugural VFL season after announcing key signings – Josh Toy (ex-Gold Coast) and Matthew Bate (ex-Melbourne).
The Bombers have also signed former Bendigo skipper Ben Duscher, who has made the decision to be a playing assistant coach at the Bombers.
This is on top of another marquee signing in Sandringham ruckman Michael Sikora, a promising young player who is strongly considered an AFL draft prospect.
8/1/13: BENDIGO Gold has added another promising youngster to its list with Bendigo Pioneers ruckman Troy Kelm.
Coach Aussie Jones said he is still keen to add more size to its list before the start of the season proper.
30/12/12: GEELONG has some notable departures including defender Andrew McLean and former AFL-listed David Wojcinski, Orren Stephenson (Richmond), Simon Hogan, Jonathan Simpkin (Hawthorn) and Tom Gillies from its premiership team.
But it has another potential father-son with Joe Couch, the son of Geelong legend Paul, and younger brother of Melbourne’s Tom, set to pull on the VFL guernsey for the Cats.
Other recruits for the Cats so far include former Port Adelaide Magpie Jordan Erskine, Geelong footy league players Nathan Deans, Ryan Abbott, Bellarine footy league’s Tom Leeds and Dyson Bell-Warren, former Geelong Falcon Jai Sheahan, Werribee’s Ben Moloney and Kieren Paliouras, Murray Bushrangers Lachlan Howe and Mildura’s Andrew Richardson. Source: Geelong Advertiser
23/12/12: ANOTHER Zebra has departed with Matthew Stapleton signing at Bendigo this week.
Stapleton was runner up in Sandy’s reserves best and fairest last season. The Gold have half of their list together but still with plenty more recruits in sight under new coach Aussie Jones.
Bendigo’s recruits for 2013 are: Steven Stroobants, Lee Coghlan, Tom Cain, Alik Magin, Nathan Beck, Harrison Huntley, Matthew Farrelly, Jake Aarts, Billy McInnes, Matthew Stapleton, Riley McIvor, Galen Munari, Tom Hames, Rhys Clark, Nathan McCarty, Daniel Toman, James Brooker and Lachlan Crosbie.
21/12/12: AS touted by FN earlier, Brent Prismall has signed to play with Williamstown in the VFL as part of his new role as well-being coordinator for the Western Bulldogs, their AFL affiliate.
Prismall effectively replaces Brett Goodes in that spot, with Goodes winning a spot on the Dogs rookie list ahead of Prismall earlier this month.
21/12/12: MICHAEL Sikora has left Sandringham to play with Essendon’s VFL team in a huge coup for the Bombers.
Sikora was one of the most promising recruits at the Zebras this season, starring in the ruck at times. Sandringham also lost Chris Waller to Collingwood’s VFL list.
PORT Melbourne has added another to its ruck stocks signing former Oakleigh Chargers big man Chris Prowse.
20/12/12: THE Werribee Tigers have signed Collingwood VFL skipper Kris Pendlebury in the biggest recruiting coup so far this pre-season.
Pendlebury, the brother of Collingwood midfielder Scott, was led to believe he was a big show to be snared by either the Pies or the Saints in the rookie draft but has now given up hope on Collingwood inparticular.
He was wooed across to Werribee knowing that it has a solid stock of players who have made their way through to the AFL ranks. He was also attracted by the partial alignment only to North Melbourne.
Pendlebury has perhaps been hidden in Collingwood’s VFL ranks because the majority of its VFL list are AFL-listed. Still, he managed to make the VFL Team of the Year again this year and is arguably the premier full back in the league.
19/12/12: The BENDIGO GOLD have signed 21 year-old former Gold Coast Suns forward Alik Magin.
Magin had been drafted by the Suns in 2010 and played in eight seniors games for the club before being delisted at the end of the 2012 season.
“No other opportunities with any other AFL clubs came along, so I thought it was best to move to Victoria and play VFL. I was always looking at playing at a stand-alone side, even if it was Frankston, Port Melbourne or Bendigo,” said Magin.
“That’s what I based my decision on, where I’d get the best opportunity to play and I seemed to think that Bendigo was the right option the whole time.”
He will join new coach Aussie Jones and the Gold for training from early January.
2012Vic Metro coach Rohan Welsh has been appointed as the new coach of the the CASEY SCORPIONS for next season.
16/12/12: PORT MELBOURNE is set to sign delisted Collingwood midfielder Luke Rounds, who is currently training with the Borough in order to continue his career in the VFL.
Rounds, originally from Terang, showed some promise with the Pies but wasn’t able to break through at senior level consistently.
WILLIAMSTOWN has filled a large void by snaring delisted Collingwood ruckman Cameron Wood for the 2013 season.
After spending most of the season largely using James Wall as its main ruckman, the Seagulls felt a need to fill the top ruck spot after struggling against other opposition clubs in the finals.
Wood’s return to the VFL ranks means that he still harbours hopes for an AFL return in future years.
13/12/12: WERRIBEE has lost Travis Tuck and Brad Mangan who have fled to the SANFL to join West Adelaide. However the Tigers have picked up father son prospect for the Kangaroos – Luke McDonald – son of former coach and current football manager of North Melbourne, Donald McDonald.
SANDRINGHAM has signed former Richmond and Coburg player Pat Contin. The Zebras have also signed Mitch Howes and Pat Tiernan from the Sandringham Dragons.
11/12/12: FORMER Sydney midfielder Brett Meredith has signed at the Werribee Tigers for next season, joining former team-mate Jarred Moore.
Werribee Senior Coach Scott West said he is delighted to sign Meredith.
“Brett is a good, strong, skillful on baller and his AFL experience will be invaluable for us. He is good mates with Jarred Moore so it will help them both fit in at the club,” West said.
WILLIAMSTOWN has signed former Melbourne player Leigh Williams for the next two seasons.
Seagulls Football Manager Chris Dixon said that securing Williams was a high priority for the Club.
“Leigh ticks a lot of boxes for us. Like a lot of our list, he’s at an age where he’s about to enter the prime of his career. Gaining a big key forward was one of our main priorities over the off-season so we’re elated that he’s going to be with us for the next two years.”
“We got pretty big wraps on Leigh’s work rate and professionalism from his time at Melbourne and we knew that a lot of other VFL and SANFL Clubs were chasing him so we’re pretty pleased that he has chosen Burbank Oval as his new home.”
10/12/12: BOX HILL has signed recently delisted Saint Sam Crocker.
5/12/12: PORT MELBOURNE has signed Sandringham Dragons best and fairest Michael Barnes.
SANDRINGHAM has secured the services of former Richmond rookie, Pat Contin. He only played 6 VFL senior games for Coburg in 2012 due to hamstring problems but averaged 26.3 disposals, 4.33 marks and 4 tackles. (Per TrueZebras.com)
Potential future North Melbourne father/son selection Luke McDonald will play for the WERRIBEE TIGERS next year.
4/12/12: FRANKSTON has signed talented cricketer turned footy player Jackson Coleman from Sandringham. Coleman showed glimpses up forward for the Zebras this season.
More big signings for the Dolphins include Sam Lloyd from Mt Eliza and Bendigo, Box Hill’s Guy Phelps, Daniel Cooper and Jayden Cass and Noble Park’s Zig Alwyn. The Dolphins have attracted more talent than any other year and are primed for an assault further up the ladder.
Dolphins coach Simon Goosey said yesterday that with the club having some AFL draft prospects in recent seasons, it has helped attract some star talent to the club over the off-season.
25/11/12: The WERRIBEE Tigers have signed former Sydney player Jarred Moore as a player and development coach for its North Melbourne contigent.
“The relationship between the two clubs was part of the attraction for me. The dual role of coaching at the Kangaroos and playing at Werribee, is what I was looking for,” Moore said in a statement.
PORT Melbourne has signed former Melbourne listed and Box Hill midfielder Danny Hughes. Julian Rowe has also returned to Port Melbourne after playing amateur footy in 2011.
13/11/12: WILLIAMSTOWN has pulled off another recruiting coup by snaring delisted Western Bulldog Justin Sherman. Sherman has agreed to join the Seagulls if he isn’t successful in snaring a spot on an AFL list in the AFL draft.
Sherman has played at the Bulldogs and the Brisbane Lions.
BOX HILL has picked up former Brisbane Lions rookie Brad Harvey, who is originally from the Eastern Ranges.
4/11/12: BENDIGO Gold has signed two defenders and one midfielder to its young list so far – including Daniel Toman, Nathan Beck and Rhys Clark.
The Gold will enter as a stand alone club in 2013.
23/10/12: WILLIAMSTOWN has won the race for in-demand 19 year old James Flack after announcing his signing today.
He was a South Mildura best and fairest winner last season and has been chased by Geelong, Werribee and Port Melbourne.
Flack is looking to step up to the VFL ranks with an eye to become an AFL player.
PORT MELBOURNE has renewed ties with midfielder Nathan Batsanis after announcing he is returning to the club after a one year stint in the SANFL last season.
The Borough also announced they have signed Tom O’Sullivan, the son of Carlton’s recruiting man Shane.
21/10/12: FRANKSTON continues to be the big play-maker early in the pre-season recruiting stakes after snaring former Collingwood listed player Daniel Farmer.
The 20-year-old, who played 15 games and kicked 11 goals for Collingwood’s VFL team, told the Frankston website he was looking to more a laid back lifestyle at the Dolphins.
“I’m looking forward to being in a bit more relaxed atmosphere I guess,”Farmer said.
“I just want to play at the highest level I can and enjoy it, not take it easy, but in my own head just relax and enjoy it.”
The Dolphins also signed ex Sandringham player Chris Irving.
20/10/12: WILLIAMSTOWN’S Matt Cravino, a much-improved player over the past two seasons, has reportedly crossed to Avondale Heights to play local footy along with former Port premiership player Patrick Rose.
12/10/12: FRANKSTON’S Toby Thoolen has joined grand finallist Port Melbourne. Thoolen will be a handy replacement for Wayde Skipper, who is rumoured to have quit Port to join a local league club.
10/10/12: WILLIAMSTOWN has pulled off a recruiting coup after snaring Coburg youngsters Willie Wheeler and Leigh Masters.
8/10/12: THE Northern Blues name Carlton assistant Luke Webster as its new coach for 2013. He replaces Darren Harris.
3/10/2012: FRANKSTON has begun its pre-season recruiting in fine style in preparation for the 2013 season after snaring Michael Lourey from Sandringham and former Geelong and Dandenong Stingrays player Scott Simpson.
ESSENDON has signed former Bendigo and Williamstown gun forward Matt Little as its general manager for this season. However, Little won’t be playing any role on the field and has instead retired from VFL footy – after making the VFL Team of the Year last season.
2/10/12: COLLINGWOOD has signed former Sandringham Dragons coach Dale Tapping as its senior VFL coach, replacing Tarkyn Lockyer.
Tapping was a midfield development coach at the Pies last season. Lockyer will remain as an assistant coach at Collingwood.
We will keep you up to date with all the pre-season recruiting news from our VFL club over the off-season. Make sure you check back regularly to this page to keep in tune with your new recruits.
