Corowa Rutherglen signs son and nephew of AFL great John Longmire
The Longmire name is set to play a significant role for Corowa-Rutherglen next year with four cousins set to play alongside each other in an off-season where the Roos have been bolstered by a package of recruits.
Corowa Rutherglen has turned to family lineage as it looks to make a charge towards finals in the Ovens and Murray league next season.
The Kangaroos have signed the son and nephew of club great and AFL legend John Longmire as it looks to continue to build after coming back from recess in 2023.
Longmire’s son Tom has joined from Sydney’s VFL side with Will Chandler (John’s nephew) making the move after playing for Glenelg in the SANFL and winning the premiership in 2024.
Both will play important roles in defence and attack.
Kangaroos coach Daryn Cresswell said Chandler had been on the radar for the club for the past 12 months and the timing was right to bring him home.
“We spoke to Will last year and I watched Will play in the grand final (SANFL) in 2024,” the coach revealed.
“My son Jake played for Norwood in the game. We kept in close contact over the past 12 months (before signing).
“He’s got great leadership skills and played at a very high level and played in a successful environment. We see him as an important player to get back to our club to build going forward.”
Cresswell said it was no secret the club was looking to recruit players who had previously played at the club,
It’s the same case for Tom who will now play with his cousins Will, Jedd and Tex (Longmire) at the club next year.
“He’s got a lot of ability,” Cresswell said.
“(He) is a great third man up and can intercept the ball. He has played in the VFL system for the Swans for the past three or four years.
“We’re pleased to get him on board to play with his cousins.”
The duo are not the only players to sign for the Kangaroos in the off-season.
Former SANFL forward Izaak Twelftree is locked away, alongside midfielder Raven Jolliffe who comes back to the Ovens and Murray league after playing in Cairns.
“I watched Izaak over the past two year in the SANFL,” Cresswell said.
“Twelftree will lend support to the the way we play. He’s going to add a real dimension in the front half.
“He’s going to be crucial to support Kaelyn Bradtke who was a one man band in our forward line last year.”
Cresswell said the focus of the off-season had been to find support to the team with matchwinners.
The team won three games last season but lost seven by 23 points or less.
The former AFL player said getting players like Chandler, Longmire and Twelftree would help the Kangaroos rise to a new level.
“It’s the hardest job I’ve ever endured,” he revealed.
“But I took some optimism last year with some of the younger players we produced. Getting some matchwinners in, who can make a difference, is crucial to help us get across the line in some tight games.
“We want to keep building and building the club, not at the expense of the future of the place.
“There’s no easy wins, we need to be better and we understand that. We’re in a much better place than where we were 12 months ago.
“We’re aiming as high as we possibly can, so wins on the board will be important early.”
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