EFL 2019: Mooroolbark rising star Kane Noonan secures spot with VFL club Coburg

Mooroolbark young gun Kane Noonan has “come from the clouds” to grab one of the final spots on Coburg’s list for 2019.

Kane Noonan in action for Mooroolbark. Picture: Mooroolbark Facebook

Mooroolbark young gun Kane Noonan has “come from the clouds” to grab one of the final spots on Coburg’s list for 2019.

Noonan only started pre-season training with the VFL club last month, but quickly earned his place in the 45-man squad

The hard-running midfielder was put in contact with Burgers coach Leigh Adams through his former North Melbourne teammate Aaron Mullett, who has returned to Mooroolbark this year.

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“I guess he just stood out straight away in terms of skills and things like that,” Mullett said.

“I just thought he was a bit too good to be floating around first division EFL. Leigh Adams is a good mate of mine and I just put it out there with him and said, ‘mate, have a look at him’.

“Even at Mooroolbark, he’s the first one there at training and generally just wants to get better and that’s why he was standing out at that level. He didn’t want to waste the year at Mooroolbark … to now be on their list, he’s over the moon.”

Noonan duly won Mooroolbark’s best and fairest last year after being named in its best players 11 times from 15 games.

“He’s won nearly every best and fairest from a young age — under 13s, 14s, 15s, 16s and all the way through,” Mooroolbark president Scott Dimitriou said.

“Very, very classy and silky, every time the footy gets in his hands, he’ll do something with it.

“They try get it to him as much as they can, but (he has) a big motor and he’ll run all day.

“Very classy, (he) has sort of got that little two-step that he uses, kind of like ‘Pendles’ (Scott Pendlebury).”

Noonan is the second player from the EFL’s second tier to sign with Coburg this year after Upper Ferntree Gully midfielder Tom Meagher joined the club last month.

Coburg general manager Sebastian Spagnuolo said Noonan had made a seamless transition from the Eastern league Division 1 club to Piranha Park.

Coburg coach Leigh Adams. Picture: Hamish Blair

“He was pretty much one of the last (on the list) - we announced four at the one time but he’s done very well,” he said.

“He’s come from the clouds - he came in and played our intraclub a few weeks back and impressed, held on to play one of the practice games that we had against a local team and did well in that one again and then played against Collingwood on Friday night.”

Adams said Noonan could be in line to play against Collingwood in Round 1.

“Aaron gave me a ring, must have been just after Christmas, and said, ‘this bloke is flying down here and I reckon he might be up to VFL footy’,” Adams said.

“He hasn’t put a foot wrong since he’s been there … he’s just a really smart footballer, goes about his work really well.

“At this stage, he could be in our Round 1 team. He’s a big chance to play some senior footy and if he keeps going the way he is it could be a lot of senior footy for us.”