AFL Outer East 2019: Hamish McIntosh signs at Gembrook Cockatoo

Gembrook Cockatoo now has three former AFL players in its squad after signing a former North Melbourne and Geelong big man.

Hamish McIntosh and Andrew Browne contest a boundary throw in. Picture: Mark Dadswell

Former North Melbourne teammates Hamish McIntosh and Michael Firrito are set to be reunited at Gembrook Cockatoo for the coming AFL Outer East season.

McIntosh, a 203cm (6’8”) ruckman with 126 AFL games under his belt, will join Firrito, the 275-gamer returning to his junior club in 2018, for the inaugural season of the competition created by the blending of the former AFL Yarra Ranges and the now defunct South-East Football Netball League.

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Originally from Lavington in NSW, McIntosh served his TAC Cup apprenticeship with the Murray Bushrangers and was taken by North Melbourne at pick No. 9 in the 2002 AFL Draft.

After making his debut for the Kangaroos the following year, McIntosh played 107 games before a switch to Geelong resulted in another 19 games.

A string of ankle, achilles and knee injuries hampering his career, McIntosh eventually retired from big league footy in 2015.

More recently, he spent three seasons with Essendon District Football League club Strathmore, where he played alongside Firrito.

He is currently a specialist ruck coach with Carlton.

Hamish McIntosh locks horns with Harry McKay at Carlton training. Picture: Michael Klein

“He signed last week,” Brookers coach Brad Coller said.

“We’d been talking since before Christmas, obviously he knew Mick. We caught up a couple of times and he was really keen. He was just waiting to see how things went with getting the Carlton job.

“We’ll get anywhere between seven and 11 games from him this year, but he’s got a fair bit on his plate.

“It’s fantastic, we’re using it as a bit of a drawcard for another couple of recruits we’re talking to.”​

McIntosh will form a handy trio of ex-AFL men at Gembrook with Firrito again set to play while Tarkyn Lockyer, after enjoying a season with the Brookers last year, has indicated he’s keen to have another run when his duties with the Collingwood academy permit.

On the down side, former Fremantle 35-gamer Andrew Shipp has decided to hang up the boots after battling a knee injury last season.

“Best and fairests, team of the century, what can you say,” Coller said.

“His experience will be sorely missed.

“But he said he’d still be around the club as much as he could.”

​

After claiming their first under-18 flag last season, the Brookers have a crop of outstanding junior talent set to step up into the senior side this year and Coller said exposure to the experience and knowledge possessed by the three will be worth its weight in gold for the developing players.

The Brookers have played a couple of intraclub matches and are now looking at a scratch match against Officer next week with Coller hopeful McIntosh and Lockyer would be available.

After finishing last season fourth on the AFL Yarra Ranges Division 2 ladder, the Brookers beat Alexandra by 20 points in the elimination final before bowing out in the first semi-final at the hands of Yarra Glen.

Gembrook Cockatoo will contest the third-tier Division 2 competition this year and will open its season at home against Kinglake on April 13.

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