EFL 2019: Jake Spencer joins Doncaster
Just days after announcing it had signed a league best-and-fairest winner, Doncaster has made another significant recruiting announcement.
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Doncaster’s big man stocks has been given a shot of experience with former Melbourne ruckman Jake Spencer signing at the EFL Premier Division club.
Spencer, who has enjoyed two standout seasons with Aspley in the NEAFL, officially joined the Sharks on Monday night.
The 30-year-old had been flying to Queensland from Melbourne to play and has been a regular in the Hornets’ best players since he joined the club ahead of the 2018 season.
LEAGUE MEDAL WINNER JOINS DONCASTER
Doncaster coach Stewart Kemperman said flexibility in the Sharks’ player points cap allowed them to land the 38-game AFL player.
Doncaster has waved goodbye to Sam Caruso, Tyson Hartwig, Simon Harris and Blair Whelan.
Spencer’s most recent AFL game was in Round 5, 2017 and he will be allocated as a six-point player.
“I think we’re still at 36 (points) with Jake playing,” Kemperman said.
“We’ve still got room to move and we’ll certainly be aiming to be as aggressive as we can.
“I think we still need a key forward so we’re in conversations with a few there but we certainly want to add value across the ground, whether that is with leg speed or positionally.”
Doncaster also confirmed on Sunday it had signed Mulgrave young gun Jaxon Gervasoni, who claimed this year’s EFL Division 2 league best and fairest.
Surrey Park midfielder Kane Henden has also put pen to paper at Schramms Reserve.
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Spencer spent 10 years with Melbourne, where he spent the majority of his career in the VFL.
He was delisted at the end of 2017.
Kemperman said Spencer’s addition would give Doncaster a strong ruck division alongside the experienced Ewen ‘Frankie’ McKenzie and emerging tall Callum Stewart.
McKenzie missed all of this year with a knee tendonitis setback.
“He came along in leaps and bounds and looks like a really exciting prospect for us going forward, both in the ruck and as a key-position player,” he said of Stewart.
“It will give us a bit of flexibility with him and where he can play his footy, but it also gives him a really good mentor as well to coach him as a young player.”
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