Where Josh Toy fits at Moonee Valley under Andrew Horne

New Moonee Valley coach Andrew Horne has outlined his plans for the EDFL club as with the start of his reign bolstered by an ex-AFL player.

Josh Toy joins as a headline signing.

 

Andrew Horne was ready to have a year off footy before Moonee Valley picked up the phone.

After a stint with PEGS in the VAFA, Horne was preparing for more time with his young family.

But the chance to carry the Essendon District league forward was an opportunity he couldn’t pass on.

“I live nearby, I know some people down there and once the wife ticked it off I was pretty keen to get involved,” Horne said.

“Just looking at their lists, I hadn’t had too much to do with Moonee Valley beforehand, there was a lot of excitement. The thing that really gravitated me towards the club was a massive junior program.

“They’ve got a big number of junior teams, two under-18s, who are really strong. They’ve finished on top last couple of years.

“The way they’re developing, the way they’re building the club, it’s really exciting. They were able to push some of the top-five teams in the seniors last year and it just shows they’re heading in the right direction.”

Moonee Valley president Michael Milne described Horne as the “perfect fit for the club’s ambitions” as excitement grows at the Fog with the 2025 pre-season quickly drawing closer.

The anticipation has gone to another level with ex-Gold Coast Sun player Josh Toy confirmed as the latest signing on Tuesday.

Toy has spent the last two seasons in country footy with King Valley in the Ovens and King league.

He played alongside Horne when the pair were together at PEGS in 2022.

“He’s another front line and experienced player,” Horne said.

“Josh has already got some really good connections at the club already through some school mates and best mates.”

Toy joins a quartet of signings unveiled by the Fog in recent weeks.

Tom Clark, James Kefalas and Zayas Leonedas are all former juniors who have returned to the club.

Meanwhile, former Team of the Year defender Michael Bourke is back in the fold after a year off.

“I’m super keen to develop from within,” he said.

“As I said, I think we’ve got the right mix in terms of younger players coming through and experienced heads.

“We’re still speaking to a few but it’s not about recruiting an army. We’ve got enough within but just a bit of top end talent to compliment what we’ve got.”

Note: The content summaries were created with the assistance of AI technology, then edited and approved for publication by an editor.