EDFL: Dean Galea lands at Rupertswood for season 2023
An EDFL club on the rise has landed a major recruit for next season with the arrival of one of the competition’s best forwards of the last decade.
Essendon
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Rupertswood has made the first big move in the 2023 recruiting stakes.
The Sharks have landed star forward Dean Galea for the next two seasons after the 37-year-old made the decision to step away from Keilor.
Galea has also been appointed as the club’s co-coach alongside Arron Bray.
The two-time Jim “Frosty” Miller medallist, awarded to the VFL’s leading goalkicker, lives local in Sunbury with negotiations only taking about a week to complete.
Bray said Galea’s arrival was the perfect mould of the type of player the Sharks had been aiming to bring to the club.
“It’s a pretty good fit for both parties,” he said.
“We had been looking to bring in some experienced heads but they needed to be the right person as well. It will be a team effort (to coach) between the two of us.
“But it will certainly help to alleviate some of the pressure on me. He’s going to bring some different ideas to training and game day which will help refresh some things.
“I think a different voice will be good for our young group as well.”
Galea boasts one of the most impressive local footy resumes in the EDFL.
After leaving the VFL, he had stints with Avondale Heights and Keilor, where he is a multiple premiership player.
Bray believes his on-field experience will be one of the best attributes he brings to the club.
“Something we were really conscious of was bringing in guys who are leaders,” he said.
“Hopefully he can beat that person who can help calm things down under pressure situations during a game. There are times where we might need it.
“We had those challenges this season but we’ll be better for those experiences.”
Rupertswood fell narrowly short of a maiden EDFL finals appearance this season after its final home-and-away game against West Coburg was interrupted by lightning.
The Sharks led when players were removed from the ground but the Burgers eventually turned the contest around.
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