EFL 2018: Box Hill midfielder Anthony Brolic returns to Rowville after a stint at South Croydon
A PLAYER points squeeze at South Croydon has forced classy Box Hill midfielder Anthony Brolic to return to Rowville for the rest of the Eastern Football League season.
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A PLAYER points squeeze at South Croydon has forced classy Box Hill midfielder Anthony Brolic to return to Rowville for the rest of the Eastern Football League season.
The 21-year-old was named on the interchange in last year’s VFL team of the year but has been unable to crack a spot in Box Hill’s side for the past month.
He was aligned with South Croydon for 2018 and played one game for the Bulldogs, ironically against Rowville, in Round 9 but a clearance was last week approved for his return back to Seebeck Oval.
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Brolic was calculated as a six-point player at South Croydon, with fellow Box Hill-listed player Stuart Horner, who had to play two games in the EFL reserves, also transferring to Norwood in May due to the player points squeeze.
But if Brolic, who has played eight VFL games this year, plays another four out of the possible eight remaining state league games this season, he will be ineligible for EFL finals.
Rules state that a player would be ineligible for EFL finals if they play 12 or more games in the AFL, VFL or TAC Cup season.
Rowville coach John Brown said Hawthorn and Box Hill’s clean bill of health meant spots were at a premium for VFL-listed players.
Brolic was instrumental in the 22-point win over Doncaster on Saturday and is valued at just one point at the Hawks as he is a junior player.
“He just felt after he played us a couple of weeks ago that if he is not at Box Hill he should be representing his home club, his junior club,” Brown said.
“He approached us and said, ‘I’d like to make the trip back home if I’m not at Box Hill’, and we said, ‘absolutely, the door is always open, you’re a junior’.”
Brolic was one of several VFL players to land at Cheong Park over the pre-season.
He arrived at the Bulldogs through a connection with coach Luke McCormick from his days at Eastern Ranges.
But South Croydon football operations manager Damon Hindmarsh said the Bulldogs could not guarantee Brolic a senior game.
“If he wasn’t picked at Box Hill, he wanted to be playing senior football so we let him go back to his junior club,” Hindmarsh said.
“You’re trying to recruit for the future and you don’t expect to have them (VFL players) all available and we’ve been in the lucky position where we’ve had them all available.
“Because of the six points we couldn’t get him in.”
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