Hills Footy League: Meet the 27 players to watch in 2021
New players, new opportunities – this coming Hills Football League season is shaping up to be an intriguing one. Meet the players to watch in 2021.
Adelaide Hills
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The Hills Football League season is just four weeks away and this year promises plenty of intrigue as new and old recruits are ready to kick up a storm.
The Adelaide Hills News spoke to each coach to identify the players to watch in 2021.
Here are the names to look out for this year.
BLACKWOOD
SAM VENNING
Venning brings plenty of experience to Blackwood, having previously played in the SANFLW with Glenelg, South Adelaide and the Crows’ reserves. He also lined up with Brighton in the Adelaide Footy League.
Venning will add coaching and leadership to the group following his involvement in Henley High School’s football program.
ALEX SCOTT
Scott is another new recruit for the Woods and he is expected to bring a wealth of experience and leadership to the team.
He’s previously played in the SANFL with West Adelaide, Meningie and most recently at Sacred Heart Old Collegians in the Adelaide Footy League.
PATRICK HILLARD
This will be Hillard’s first season in the Hills Football League.
He joins the Woods after previously being a part of the Woodville-West Torrens Eagles and Henley High’s junior football program.
ECHUNGA
MITCH PARR
A hard working midfielder/forward, Parr joins Echunga from Sacred Heart in the Adelaide Footy League.
The 26 year-old knows how to get the footy and how to bring fellow players into the game.
He’s a bloke you want to play footy with.
TRISTAN CARCURO
Carcuro was poached from Woodville-West Torrens’ SANFL side after managing nine matches for the Eagles last year.
The 28-year-old is described as a versatile forward who also previously played in the Adelaide Footy League.
According to his coach, Simon Quinn, Carcuro brings fitness, strength and leadership to Echunga’s emerging forward line and midfield.
HARRY YOUNG
Young is 24 years old and comes to Echunga from PHOS Camden in the Adelaide Footy League.
He played in the Phantoms’ 2015 premiership.
Young is fit and dedicated, playing a lot of footy at half back and through the midfield.
SEAN MUNN
Described as a tall and very skilled midfielder, Munn was recruited from Adelaide Footy League division three side Edwardstown
The 24 year-old is said to be well skilled and versatile and has a strong connection to Echunga FC through family connections.
TOM FINN
Recruited from PHOS Camden, Finn plays mainly in defence but can also switch into the forward lines.
The 28 year-old provides plenty of drive out of defence and can help transition the ball into attack.
HAHNDORF
JARROD PETRENKO
Former Adelaide and Woodville-West Torrens and Crows midfielder Jared Petrenko had tears in his eyes as he watched from the stands while his beloved Eagles won the 2020 SANFL flag.
Petrenko featured in 116 games for the Eagles, before deciding to step away from the game and not play football last year.
The 31-year-old is now ready to return to the field – albeit not the SANFL – having signed with reigning Hills Football League premiers Hahndorf for this season.
Petrenko said he is looking forward to the Hills league kicking off in April.
“I have been training with Hahndorf for about a month, now, and I can’t believe how much I’ve enjoyed it,” he said.
“I have fallen in love with it again, it’s been a lot more relaxed and I am really excited.”
Read the full story here.
RIGBY BARNES
Ex-South Adelaide player Rigby Barnes has made the move to Hahndorf from Adelaide Footy League club Scotch Old Collegians.
Barnes played 32 SANFL games for the Panthers from 2017-2018 and kicked 36 goals.
He is no stranger to country footy however, winning two Mail Medals as well as two premierships in four seasons with Encounter Bay in the Great Southern League before his stint at South.
LOBETHAL
AIDAN RILEY
Riley is a former Crows player who will join Lobethal for his second season this year after retiring from Sturt in 2019.
He’s a 183cm goal-kicking midfielder with plenty of experience and a successful career spanning back more than 10 years.
Between 2010 and 2013, Riley played 12 games for the Adelaide Crows, before joining the Melbourne Demons for two seasons.
In 2016 and 2018, he was an SA State representative and in 2015 was crowned Best and Fairest for the Casey Scorpions in the Victoria Football League.
MITCH CARTER
The ex-Norwood player is making a comeback to footy this year after a serious shoulder injury.
Not one to shy from a challenge, Carter appears to be well on track to impress senior coach Matt Fuller who says he’s ready to see the start forward in action.
“He’s a big-bodied tall forward and he’s flying at the moment and probably doing better than what we did during his time at Norwood,” Fuller said.
“He’s looking really well and is a great player for us to have … with a couple of league games under his belt.
“He should add a lot of value up forward.”
ALEX GEORGIOU
One of Lobethal’s key defenders, Georgiou will bring plenty of experience to the field this season.
The Norwood product lined up in three seasons with the Redlegs and starred in their 2012 and 2013 premierships before being selected by Melbourne in the 2014 AFL rookie draft.
He returned to Norwood after one season with the Demons and went on to play 173 league games before retiring at the end of the 2019 season and signing with Lobethal last year.
BRADY DAWE
Dawe is a triple SANFL premiership player and is entering his second season with Lobethal this year.
He hung up his boots with the Redlegs in 2019 after 10 seasons in the red and blue and three flags.
Dawe’s biggest strength is his durability.
His dedication to the sport has continued during his time in the HFL.
MOUNT BARKER
SAMUEL CALLINS
The club’s reigning best and fairest is again expected to be a player to watch as he takes to the field with Mount Barker this season.
Callins started his footy career in the club’s juniors and has quickly moved up the ranks, according to coach Andrew Bruce.
“He has good skills and makes good decisions on the field,” Bruce said.
“He’ll be up there again for (potentially winning) Best and Fairest again.”
MATT BUTLER
Originally from Victoria, Butler is undoubtedly the club’s top new recruit.
He only recently moved to Mount Barker but is quickly settling into the Hills lifestyle and is even renting with a fellow teammate.
Butler is a key defender and is already impressing the coach.
“He’s looking good during training and also seems to have fit into the club nicely,” Bruce said.
MOUNT LOFTY
CHIMA ANYANWU
Anyanwu played soccer as a junior before transitioning to Aussie rules and claimed a flag with Payneham Norwood Union’s under-18s.
He then transitioned to senior footy and became the Falcons’ division one Adelaide Footy League lead ruckman last year.
The star has impressed his new coaches and teammates at Mt Lofty with his high level skills, fitness, speed and agility.
JAMESON BOWER
Bower was a key member of Norwood’s under-16 and under-19 teams before returning to his junior club, Payneham Norwood Union and cementing his spot in the club’s division one side as a midfielder.
He was part of the Falcons’ 2019 top tier Adelaide Footy League premiership and would add that experience to Mount Lofty’s side this year.
DECLAN CARMODY
Carmody is from the South East and grew up playing at North Gambier until 2017.
He played in the senior winning SA Zone Country Championships when he was just 17.
In 2016, Carmody helped Glenelg claim the under-16 SANFL flag and then featured with the Tigers’ reserves side in 2019.
The youngster is expected to have a big impact in the Hills Footy League this year after taking time away from the game in 2020.
WILL BUTLER
Originally a recruit from Pembroke, Butler will join Mount Lofty for his third season this year.
According to senior coach Michael Bawden (who himself only stepped into the position this year), the young player has “heaps of potential” and is expected to step it up this season to show people what he is made of.
ONKAPARINGA VALLEY
MIKE LEONARD
Former Best and Fairest Mike Leonard is making a comeback this season with his official return to the Hills Football League.
An Onkaparinga Valley supporter for many years, Leonard had been nursing a serious foot injury which led to him being sidelined for a number of years.
Coach Paul Tanner said it was exciting to see the centre/half forward back on the field.
“He’s been injured since he won Best and Fairest but he’s been back up running for the last eight to 10 weeks, which is a good sign,” he said.
`He’s a consistent player and takes a lot of good marks.
“He’s also very competitive in the air, which is something we lack, so has a big presence on the field.”
JOHN GREENSLADE
Ex-SANFL player John Greenslade is returning for his second season with Onkaparinga Valley after retiring from Sturt.
It will be his first full season after the campaign was shortened last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Greenslade brings a wealth of experience, having lined up in 124 league games with the Double Blues, including the 2016 flag win.
Bulldogs coach Paul Tanner said Greenlade would add to the side’s midfield brigade.
“He’s previously played in the league premiership at Sturt, which he says is his greatest achievement,” Tanner said.
“But then he was looking to retire and had a couple of mates and family members involved in the club and that’s how he became involved with us as he was looking to move to the Hills.”
SAM CIAPPINA
Sam Ciappina has signed on for his fourth season with Bulldogs this year and, according to Tanner, is looking fitter than ever.
The speedy wingman played his first four matches with the team in 2018 and all 20 in 2019 where he kicked eight goals.
He then won the club’s Most Consistent Award.
“He had a great year last season and is looking fitter than what he did last year, so he’ll be one to watch,” Tanner said.
“He’s a consistent player who plays well week in and week out.
“He runs hard, works hard, and trains hard and has got really good skills.”
Ciappina previously played junior footy for North Adelaide and Tea Tree Gully.
URAIDLA DISTRICT
DEAN TERLICH
It’s not just players who are worth a mention this season with Dean Terlich joining Uraidla as senior coach.
Terlich brings with him a wealth of experience, having played 35 AFL games for Melbourne and 86 SANFL games for Norwood. Most recently, he was a player and coach with the Tanunda Magpies, taking them to two grandfinals and winning the 2019 premiership.
ANGUS CLARKE
New recruit Angus Clark has signed with Uraidla for his first season this year, following a successful stint with the Goodwood Saints in the Adelaide Football League.
He previously played for Werribee Football Club in the Victorian Football League and for the Old Melbournians in the Victorian Amateur Football Association.
Clark also lined up with Norwood in the SANFL alongside Terlich.
He’s a ruckman who can also play key positions at either end of the ground.
NICK AMATO
Another noteworthy player for the 2021 season in Nick Amato.
The former North Adelaide and Glenelg player claimed the club’s best and fairest award last year.
He returns to the side after playing 75 league games for the Roosters (2011-2016) before giving the SANFL another shot and lining up in eight matches for Glenelg in 2018.
Nairne Bremer United Football Club did not provide a list of players.
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