VFL news 2025: Riley Baldi returns to Casey Demons, Carlton lands Francis Evans
Recruiting has started to hot up around the VFL with Riley Baldi returning to Casey, while former Cats and Power forward Francis Evans has joined Carlton.
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He wasn’t gone for long, but Riley Baldi is back in the VFL.
Coming off his win in the Gippsland league medal, the ace midfielder is returning to Casey Demons, eager to make his second stint more productive than the first.
A graduate of Gippsland Power, Baldi, 23, played 19 games for Casey across the 2021-22-23 seasons.
He went back to Moe this year and was supreme, being named in the best in 14 of his 20 matches and doing the club and league best-and-fairest double.
Baldi was also selected in the Gippy league team of the year for the second successive season.
In his list of this year’s best 50 country footballers, astute Weekly Times writer David Johnston named Baldi at No. 5, noting he had “began strongly and maintained a high output right to the end’’.
Leongatha coach Trent McMicking thought him in the No. 1 player in Gippsland.
What’s brought him back to the VFL?
Baldi says he wants to prove himself in the state league, something he believes he didn’t do in his earlier time at Casey.
“I did love my time there but I probably did struggle to find a bit of the balance between footy and work and study,’’ he says.
“That’s why I made the decision to go back to local. Moe were going well at the time too, chasing that first flag in many years.
“I’m a bit more settled now and age has brought me experience and with experience you get stronger in the body and more mature. I know what to expect. I’d like to prove myself at VFL level and try to play some good, consistent footy … when I was here before I would say I didn’t live up to the standards I hold myself up to and what I wanted to get to, in terms of week in, week-out footy against the best.
“I’m going to dip my toes into some coaching stuff at Casey as well, so that’s a good opportunity, to build on some skill-sets.’’
Baldi was a prominent Gippsland Power player in 2019, representing Vic Country at the Under 18 championships and attending the AFL state combine.
Successive Covid-hit seasons checked his progress after he was overlooked in a draft that sent his contemporaries Caleb Serong and Sam Flanders to AFL clubs.
Baldi is living in Newborough, studying teaching at Federation University in Churchill and working as an aid at Lowanna College in Moe.
But for the moment he’s calling Darwin home, having a run with Nightcliff.
Another leading Gippsland league player, Jenson Garnham, is also eyeing a move to Casey.
The Leongatha forward kicked 53 goals this year and was listed at full-forward in the team of the year.
The Parrots have encouraged him to have a dash at the next level.
Their Ellinbank league recruit Patty Ireland is also keen to join the Demons.
Coming out of the Coates Talent League, Ireland booted 111 goals from 20 matches this year for Buln Buln, including six in the grand final. There were also bags of 14, 13 and 12.
Baldi is among a parcel of recruits for the Demons, who finished down the ladder in this VFL this year.
It includes Tyson Sruk, who was on Carlton’s VFL list this year, and Chance Doultree from Footscray Bulldogs VFL.
Sruk earned attention when he had 37 possessions for Eastern Ranges in the 2023 Under 18 grand final against Sandringham Dragons.
A broken collarbone restricted him this year; he played a dozen matches at local level for Rowville.
Doultree, 22, figured in Traralgon’s Gippsland league premiership this year. He previously had a stint with Norwood in the SANFL.
On the minus side for Casey, captain Mitch White has stepped away from the VFL and signed at Rosebud; fellow 2022 premiership player Ryan Valentine has crossed to Coburg; Ned Moodie is training at Frankston; and Mitch Szybkowski has headed to Sydney to train with GWS.
Meanwhile, Carlton VFL has beaten other clubs to the signature of delisted Port Adelaide player Francis Evans.
The 23-year-old had two years with Port after a two-year stint with Geelong, which drafted him out of the lower level of the Victorian amateurs.
He finished with 34 AFL games.
Echuca pair Liam Tenace and Cooper Willoughby are training with the Blues after playing in a Goulburn Valley league premiership this year under former Carlton dasher Andrew Walker.
Both also appeared in interleague.
Ovens and Murray defender Jace McQuade, from Wangaratta Rovers, is also on the track with Carlton.
Collingwood is likely to land Josh Walker from amateur club Collegians.
The Oakleigh Chargers graduate transferred from Eastern club Waverley Blues this year and was consistently in Collegians’ best.
He was the Round 15 nomination for the VAFA Rising Star, with the club declaring his improvement had been “profound’’.
“He is very competitive, and also possesses a high level of class and skill that complements his hardness,’’ Collegians said. “ He started out as a wing/forward but has now progressed into an on-ball role. He’ll still go forward at times, and regularly hits the scoreboard.
“Josh has a very exciting future ahead of him, and we look forward to seeing his continual growth.’’
Collegians best and fairest Jasper Davy, a defender described as “tough as nails’’ by Lions coach Jordie McKenzie, and Maffra recruit Henry Anderson, the nephew of North Melbourne premiership player Stuart, will also do the pre-season with the VFL Maggies.
Box Hill Hawks have signed East Ringwood’s Corey Preston, who started 2024 with Werribee. The classy midfielder has also had VFL stints at Footscray Bulldogs and Williamstown.
Delisted Saint Olli Hotton has joined North Melbourne VFL, as have Sandringham pair Ollie Lowe and Will Brown.
Originally published as VFL news 2025: Riley Baldi returns to Casey Demons, Carlton lands Francis Evans
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