Boort signs former Sydney and Western Bulldogs player Shane Biggs
A country footy team in Victoria’s north west has signed a 2016 AFL premiership winner as it chases a finals spot this season.
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It’s the ‘Bigg’ move which could put Boort back in the finals picture this season in the North Central Football League.
The club has signed Western Bulldogs premiership player Shane Biggs for 2023.
He joins from North Heidelberg in the Northern Football League but hasn’t played since 2019 after undergoing hip surgery at the end of that season.
For the Bulldogs he played 57 games, including the 2016 grand final, after moving to the club from Sydney in 2015.
“Shane comes to us through a couple of ex-local guys that are coming back to Boort to play,” Boort president Kane Arnold revealed.
“A couple of his ex-teammates from North Heidelberg.”
Former Boort players Jarrod Fitzpatrick and Ryan McGhie have signed for the club this year after playing for Golden Square and North Heidelberg respectively last year.
Both played at North Heidelberg while Biggs was at the club in 2019 and have now convinced him to join the team for this year.
All three signings are a major boost to a side who haven’t played finals in six years in the NCFL.
“They’ll provide playing support, and are some really big ins for our team with Fitz working through the middle, Ryan down back and we plan to play Shane in the forward line,” Arnold said.
“They’ve been training.
“Jarrod is based in Bendigo so he’s been training in Boort and in Bendigo and Shane and Ryan have been training in Melbourne.”
Arnold said the recruits are part of a plan to get those connected to the town back to play.
The town, located around 100km from Swan Hill, has a population of just under 900 people but was the home of Western Bulldogs great John Schultz, who won the Brownlow Medal in 1960.
“We’ve gone right back to our local guys and getting them back,” Arnold said.
“In addition to those (three coming back) is Jono Lanlan (playing).
“He’ll be returning home for the season.
“We’ve known for a long time it is getting our experienced and more decorated local footballers back to the club.
“If we can build our team around our key position players being one point players obviously makes it easier with recruiting and getting quality players like Shane with points up our sleeve.”
Lanlan, a former VFL player, joins after playing in Cairns for the past couple of years.
Arnold said the expectation for the team was to be competitive and to chase a finals spot.
Boort last year finished sixth, five games out of the finals and know this year will be tough with the level of competition in the league as well as the addition of Nullawil, who won the Golden Rivers premiership last year.
“Knowing we’ve got a long way to come from we don’t want to get too ambitious,” Arnold said.
“Absolutely we want to be playing finals football, there’s no doubt about it.
“We can’t rely on other clubs dropping off, we need to rely on us getting better.
“We want to be more competitive and bring some more spirit into the club and get the vibe going at the club again.”
Boort starts its season against Sea Lake-Nandaly Tigers on April 15.
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