Norwood’s Ryan Bastinac and Glenelg’s Chris Curran return to play in 2020 SANFL season
Two SANFL stars will commute to play this season – one from interstate and the other from regional SA – after rejoining their respective clubs on the eve of the season.
Local Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local Sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Your complete 2020 SANFL season preview
- How to get the most out of your Advertiser digital subscription
Two star SANFL footballers will play for their clubs on “fly in, fly out” agreements this season after originally saying they would not feature in 2020.
Gun Norwood recruit Ryan Bastinac and Glenelg premiership skipper Chris Curran have returned to their respective teams on flexible arrangements.
Former North Melbourne and Brisbane Lions midfielder Bastinac will fly back to Queensland intermittently throughout the season, while Curran will commute from the Riverland.
Bastinac signed with the Redlegs in November before he returned home to Brisbane during the coronavirus shutdown for personal reasons.
The 29-year-old agreed to come back to play with the condition he would need to travel back and forth.
Norwood football manager Mark Ross said the State Government’s decision to open the borders between SA and Queensland – without the need for two weeks isolation upon arrival – was the key factor in Bastinac’s change of heart.
“The coach (Jarrod Cotton) gave him a ring as a bit of a last call when they opened the borders and he said ‘I’ll play’,” Ross said.
“It makes it easier that he can fly in and out a little bit to do some stuff over there (Queensland) still.
“He’s here for most of the time, but there are times he’s just going to have to go back.”
The 164-game former AFL onballer adds further talent to an already stacked Norwood midfield.
Bastinac will make his Redlegs debut through the reserves against Glenelg on Saturday off the back of a disrupted pre-season.
Curran meanwhile put his SANFL career on hold following the Bays’ 2019 premiership triumph to pursue his medical career at a regional placement.
He then signed at Renmark Rovers but, when the Riverland Football League cancelled its season earlier this month, returned to Glenelg.
Curran will travel to Adelaide for each weekend’s match but will not train every session with the Tigers through an agreement to work around his medical studies.
The club hoped the defender, who was selected as captain of The Advertiser ’s SANFL team of the season in 2019, would play 12 of the 14 home-and-away matches in a welcome return to the Bays’ backline.
Max Proud was named skipper in Curran’s absence and will retain the captaincy for 2020.