UPDATE: VFL pre-season recruiting
Posted by Brent DiamondJan 19. 2012 1:47 am
UPDATE: COBURG Tigers forward James Lawton has signed at Central District in the SANFL, meaning that another quality player has been lost from the VFL.
He joins delisted Richmond midfielder Ben Nason, who spent plenty of time at Coburg last season, at Central District.
THE Box Hill Hawks have continued their recruiting surge by signing former Melbourne-listed player Danny Hughes.
Hughes was dumped from Melbourne’s list at the end of last season. He played the majority of the season at the Scorpions.
SANDRINGHAM appears likely to gain one of its own – defender Will Johnson – despite him being delisted by feeder team St Kilda.
WILLIAMSTOWN has added former Casey defender James Wall to its line-up which was defeated in last year’s grand final by Port Melbourne.
The Seagulls have already secured former Eagle Jamie McNamara, defender Michael Stockdale, Clinton Proctor and Sam Myors over the pre-season period.
THE Werribee Tigers have snared former Geelong premiership player Nathan Ablett, former Fremantle player Tim Ruffles and former North Melbourne midfielder Ben Ross.
Ablett said he still has ambitons of playing AFL.
“I’m not totally giving it up at this stage, that’s why I’m still playing VFL,” Ablett told SEN.
“I still think I’ve got a little bit to offer, so my main goal is to do as well as I possibly can in the VFL.
“And who knows … fingers crossed that one day I could play back in the AFL again.
“I think at this stage if any club were to pick me up I couldn’t put that offer down.”
THE Box Hill Hawks have snared perhaps the biggest recruiting coup of the VFL pre-season so far after signing former North Melbourne midfielder Daniel Pratt.
Pratt, who played 119 AFL games for North Melbourne and Brisbane, will be a playing assistant coach at Box Hill under Damian Carroll.
Carroll said Pratt will be a vital addition to the team after losing some experience such as skipper Sam Gibson to North Melbourne and Adam Pattison to Hawthorn in the AFL rookie draft.
“Losing senior players Gibson and Pattison back to AFL is great for them but leaves us a bit light on in experience with Beau Muston the only player from the 2011 Leadership Group returning,” Carroll said.
“Pratt having played over 100 games of AFL will provide great leadership to the first and second year players,” he said.
Box Hill has also signed Gold Coast’s inaugural captain Marc Lock, ex-North Melbourne rookie Matthew Scott and ex-Sydney rookie Max Otten, the brother of Adelaide’s Andy.
GEELONG has lost experienced leader Matthew Firman, who has taken on a coaching role with VAFA team North Old Boys.
However, among the latest recruits for the Cats VFL team is delisted Collingwood rookie Jye Bolton and Geelong Falcons trio Lachlan Edwards, Cam Tudor and Jordan Keras.
The club has had a massive off-season recruiting new coach Matthew Knights and playing assistant Dom Gleeson.
THE Werribee Tigers bid for a breakthrough flag may well be far better off after being handed three top-line players from North Melbourne’s rookie list over the pre-season.
The Roos opted for mature aged players including Box Hill skipper Sam Gibson, Port Melbourne midfielder Malcolm Lynch and Werribee defender Brad Mangan.
All three have been named in the Roos’ VFL affiliate Werribee Tigers line-up.
The full lists devoted to partial aligned teams North Ballarat and Werribee are as per below.
North Ballarat
Brad McKenzie
Tom Curran
Max Warren
Gavin Urquhart
Todd Goldstein
Liam Anthony
Daniel Wells
Andrew Swallow
Ben Cunnington
Lindsay Thomas
Shaun Atley
Drew Petrie
Cameron Richardson
Aaron Edwards
Ryan Bastinac
Brent Harvey
Cameron Delaney
Cruize Garlett
Matthew Campbell
Aaron Black
Ben Mabon
Aaron Mullett
Luke Delaney
Werribee
Will Sierakowski
Brad Mangan
Malcolm Lynch
Sam Gibson
Hamish McIntosh
Ben Warren
Lachlan Hansen
Jack Ziebell
Michael Firrito
Leigh Adams
Scott Thompson
Nathan Grima
Sam Wright
Kieran Harper
Levi Greenwood
Robbie Tarrant
Ben McKinley
Jamie Macmillan
Ayden Kennedy
Majak Daw
Cameron Pedersen
Scott McMahon
Ben Speight
PORT Melbourne premiership player Nathan Batsanis has crossed to the SANFL for next season after missing out on getting selected in the recent AFL rookie draft.
Batsanis joins a huge exodus of experienced Port players after its golden premiership season.
WILLIAMSTOWN has signed 2010 Western Jets best and fairest Jordan Mead, Sandringham Dragons premiership player Anthony Anastasio, 2011 Calder Cannons best and fairest Damien Bugeja, Bendigo Pioneers forward Ben Christodoulou and Calder Cannons premiership player Alex McLeod.
FORMER Hawthorn premiership player Rick Ladson appears likely to play at Bendigo this season with his brother after taking on a development role at Essendon.
Bendigo has yet to be confirm Ladson has joined it but it is believed he is interested in a playing role.
Ladson was earmarked to join Greater Western Sydney but it is said that it has told Ladson it is unable to secure him because of a lack of funds under the salary cap to fit him in.
FORMER West Coast midfielder Jamie McNamara has joined Williamstown after serving East Fremantle in the WAFL as vice-captain.
McNamara, who has played 77 league games in the WAFL averaging 24 disposals and 5 marks a game, will be a great replacement for former Seagulls skipper Brett Johnson.
Williamstown believe the 23-year-old is in the prime of his career.
FORMER North Melbourne midfielder Daniel Pratt is up for grabs among VFL clubs.
It is believed Williamstown and Port Melbourne head the list of clubs after his services. It is understood he has ruled out a return to North Melbourne’s affiliate clubs North Ballarat and Werribee.
Former Geelong forward Ben Johnson has signed with Geelong’s VFL team despite being delisted by the Cats.
Meanwhile, the club has put a media ban on its new coaching panel over the summer months allowing them to settle in. Matthew Knights was appointed the new coach of Geelong’s VFL team.
WILLIAMSTOWN has added to the signings of Michael Stockdale and Clinton Proctor with North Albury’s Sam Myors.
Calder Cannons player Robbie Ball has also committed to the Seagulls.
It is understood Cameron Lockwood and Matthew Cravino may still sign at the club. Ben Jolley and Brett Goodes have also re-signed for 2012.
DELISTED North Melbourne midfielder Ben Ross is likely to sign at the Werribee Tigers if he isn’t picked up in tonight’s AFL draft or next month’s rookie and pre-season drafts.
Ross trained at Chirnside Park last night and would add to Werribee’s cluster of young recruits after several departures headlined by skipper Dom Gleeson.
FORMER Western Bulldogs rookie Eddie Prato has signed with North Ballarat.
Prato, a developing ruckman, will bolster the clubs’ ruck stocks under Orren Stephensen.
Prato originally played basketball for the Ballarat Nuggets and footy for Maryborough.
Prato played the bulk of the season with Williamstown in the VFL last season.
THE Dolphins have been the bolters in the pre-season recruiting after snaring former Box Hill Hawks forward Leigh Kitchin, Jackson Sketcher and are likely to recruit former Coburg player Travis Ronaldson.
FORMER Hawthorn player Travis Tuck, who was the AFL’s first player to register three strikes under the illicit drugs policy, will remain at the Werribee Tigers if he isn’t handed an AFL lifeline in the upcoming drafts. Melbourne may be an outside chance to snare Tuck, given former Werribee coach Paul Satterley is now a development coach at the club.
THE Box Hill Hawks have secured Gold Coast’s inaugural captain Marc Lock, if he isn’t successful in the upcoming drafts.
FORMER Melbourne player Brett Lovett has landed the Casey Scorpions coaching role this morning.
Scorpions general manager Brian Woodman confirmed to Football Nation that the role will be part-time because the club has “quite a few development coaches”.
Woodman also revealed that Peter Dean was never really a serious candidate.
Lovett was looking for a part-time coaching role to fit in with his job as he owns a nursery on the Mornington Peninsula.
Lovett parted ways with Sandringham after the club best and fairest count with the Zebras appointing Simon McPhee as coach.
WOODMAN also said the club remained hopeful that Brendan Fevola would get picked up in the upcoming draft and that the club had an ongoing relationship with him. But he later said that Fevola wouldn’t be at the Scorpions or playing VFL next year either way.
NORTH Ballarat young gun Ryan McKenzie has signed a lucrative contract with Port Adelaide Magpies in the SANFL. McKenzie joins Matt Tyler (Horsham) on the outer at the Roosters.
However, defender Michael Searle returns along with Paul McMahon, who has spent a couple of seasons in the Ballarat Football League.
Best and fairest winner Myles Sewell is believed to be likely to remain at North Ballarat despite attracting some lucrative offers last season.
DOM Gleeson will join Geelong’s VFL team in a playing and part-time assistant coaching role from next season.
The Werribee skipper, who broke the team’s games record of 136 games during the finals series, said he will be looking forward to the challenge of coaching but dismissed the notion of perhaps following in the footsteps of best mate James Podsiadly in a return to the AFL ranks.
The 28 year old had another top season at Werribee this year.
Gleeson said there may be others at Werribee that may leave the Tigers den.
WILLIAMSTOWN has snared experienced player Clinton Proctor from Frankston.
PATRICK Rose has quit Port Melbourne and VFL footy to focus on his work. He joins ruckman David Fanning, who has joined EDFL club Aberfeldie – as two premiership players on the move. More are expected.
BEAU Dowler has signed at Sandringham but is also trying for a spot on St Kilda’s list as a rookie.
IT is believed the name change of the Carlton’s VFL affiliate from the Northern Bullants to the Northern Blues, has officially gone through after a members vote.
Carlton will have more of a say on what goes on with its alignment next season under new coach Robert Hyde.
JUST a month after parting ways with Sandringham, Brett Lovett is tipped to become the next coach of the Casey Scorpions.
It is not known whether he would be employed part-time or full-time. Lovett is seen as a good fit for the Melbourne affiliate considering he is a former Demon.
Casey is on the search for a new coach – which is likely to be named this week – following the departure of Brad Gotch to Port Adelaide as an assistant.
BRETT Johnson has retired from Williamstown in the VFL to coach Montrose in the EFL. Johnson, the former Blue and Hawk, has enjoyed a long and decorated career in the VFL. He is regarded as a Seagulls great after serving the club as captain.
GEELONG has appointed former Essendon coach Matthew Knights as the coach of its VFL team for next season.
SANDRINGHAM has appointed Claremont premiership coach Simon McPhee as its coach for next season. McPhee will be the Saints new development coach. It was believed Paul Hudson was also a key candidate for the role after the departure of Brett Lovett.
BOX Hill Hawks reserves premiership players Jackson Sketcher and Leigh Kitchin have joined Frankston for next season. The Dolphins are on the search to strengthen their list and go further in season 2o12.
FORMER Western Bulldogs champion midfielder Scott West has signed as the new Werribee coach in a major signing today.
Werribee President John Nicol said he was excited that a Bulldogs champ is at the helm.
The Northern Blues have announced Robert Hyde as their new coach.
Hyde, 56, will take over from Darren Harris who has been promoted to a full time development role at Carlton.
WILLIAMSTOWN midfielders Ben Davies and David Stretton have signed with Wodonga.
Classed as top stalwarts for the club, the loss of both midfielders is a huge blow to the club entering the pre-season. It has previously signed, however, Michael Stockdale from Casey.
BRAD Gotch has left his his post as Casey Scorpions coach to take up an assistant coaching role at Port Adelaide under Matthew Primus. There had been rumblings that Gotch figured in Werribee’s thinking for a new coach. He was also not guaranteed a spot as coach of the Scorpions next season amidst a club review.
SANDRINGHAM has parted ways with coach Brett Lovett just a day after the club best and fairest due to its aligned partner St Kilda’s wishes to have a full-time coach.
Lovett was employed as a part-time coach at the Zebras – and similarly to ex-Werribee coach Simon Atkins last year – the club has opted to go with a full-time coach. Lovett runs a nursery in Mornington Peninsula. It takes the number of vacant VFL coaching positions to four.
PORT Melbourne’s Shane Valenti says he has yet to be approached by any AFL club despite winning his second Liston Trophy this season. It is rumoured the ball magnet may be in line for a rookie selection at GWS next month.
FRANKSTON ruckman Russell Gabriel is believed to be heading to WAFL club East Fremantle next season to help further his AFL prospects despite showing brilliant form with the Dolphins this season.
Gabriel finished equal second with Mark Baguley for the club’s best and fairest last night. Luke Potts was the eventual winner.
WILLIAMSTOWN has began its pre-season in fine style after snaring hard-running defender Michael Stockdale from the Casey Scorpions.
Stockdale, who is regarded heavily by many as an AFL prospect, had another blistering season for the Scorpions but has perhaps been attracted to greener pastures because his former coach Peter German is at the helm of the Seagulls.
The 21-year-old will be a valuable addition to the Seagulls after they finished just a step away from a history-making flag this season after winning the inaugural Foxtel Cup.
SHANNON Grant has snared an assistant coaching role at the Western Bulldogs meaning that Bendigo is another club on the search for a coach for next season.
DARREN Harris has been promoted as a development coach at Carlton, meaning, the newly-named Northern Blues will be on the look-out for a new coach next season. They join Werribee, who are also searching for a new coach, following Paul Satterley jumping up to the AFL coaching ranks as a development coach at Melbourne.
Stay tuned to FN’s pre-season recruiting page exclusive to VFL clubs over summer
