EFL 2019: Wantirna South make key signings ahead of Eastern Football League season
Wantirna South hopes an injection of youth and some key additions will help it rise into the top five after missing finals for the past two years.
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Wantirna South hopes an injection of youth and some key additions under new coach Steve Cochrane will help it rise into the top five after missing finals for the past two years.
Former Vermont key defender Jacob Castricum, South Croydon premiership midfielder David Del Papa and versatile key position player Jackson Freeman headline the additions at Walker Park.
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The promising Vermont trio of Patrick Bridges, Matt Brown and Fergus Ward have also signed with the Devils after featuring in recent reserve and under-19s premiership wins.
Del Papa played in South Croydon’s 2017 grand final win but spent most of last year in the reserves, limited to just six senior games.
Wantirna South president Steve Draper said Del Papa had been earmarked to replace best and fairest winner Will Edwards, who has joined VAFA club Caulfield Grammarians.
“That’s why he’s been recruited, to replace our MVP,” Draper said.
“I think with the recruiting of a few more onballers, that squeezed him out (of South Croydon) a bit and he’s probably still good enough to be a main player in Division 1.”
Castricum was a mainstay in Vermont’s backline, playing 49 games from 2014 to 2017 before spending last year at Emerald.
“He’s a good recruit because he fills a particular role and he brings a bit of experience,” Draper said.
“Over the years we’ve lost all our experience. The blokes that got us to the last grand final (in 2016), half of them are gone through retirement, so it’s good to get some older heads in there.”
Draper said Bridges, Brown and Ward would each be given senior opportunities in 2019 as Wantirna South look to push for its first finals appearance since the 2016 Division 2 decider.
Ben Carboni (retirement), Andy Teakel (Seaford) and Jack Hare (Boronia) are the omissions of note.
“We want young blokes to be part of it now but also be part of our long term because we want to rebuild the list,” he said.
“We’ve got a few holes in our age groups because we didn’t have under-17s for a few years and that is starting to hurt us now.
“That’s why we’re recruiting a few more young blokes who have got a bit of talent, who love their footy … they’re more likely to get opportunities with us than maybe Vermont.
“We definitely wanted to get more young blokes in, they have a go and they’ll really improve.”
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