EFL: Andrew Padbury returns to the Whitehorse Pioneers

The Whitehorse Pioneers have welcomed back a 2018 premiership hero in a major boost for the EFL Division 3 outfit. Coach Brad Taws says his inclusion sets up a dangerous three-pronged attack with further additions for 2021...

Andrew Padbury is back at the Pioneers for 2021.

The Whitehorse Pioneers have welcomed back a premiership spearhead in a major boost for the Division 3 outfit’s assault on 2021.

Andrew Padbury has landed back at Springfield Park after a year with VAFA outfit Old Scotch, where he featured in the club’s Premier B reserves flag with 50 majors for the season including five in the grand final win over University Blacks.

He departed the Pioneers after playing an integral role in the 2018 Division 4 premiership win over the Glen Waverley Hawks in a season where topped the club’s goalkicking with 58, and earned a second consecutive selection in the Team of the Year following 71 goals in 2017.

Padbury gets a kick away for the Pioneers in 2018.

Senior coach Brad Taws said Padbury makes the move back to play alongside his 2018 premiership teammates.

“I’d been speaking to (Padbury) for a couple of weeks and I sat him down Monday afternoon and I said ‘All your mates are here, you’ve been at the club, you’ve had a year away, and I said what do you reckon?’,” Taws said.

“He’s a big boy too – he’s tall and according to (club president) Alan Bertacco he said he looked like he’d put on a bit of size as well.”

The Pioneers have also signed former Cranbourne player Justyn Kennewell who the Whitehorse mentor has earmarked for a role up forward, after last playing in 2011.

Taws said the combination of Padbury, 2020 recruit Tom Davis and Kennewell could pose a few headaches for opposition defences.

“He (Kennewell) a forward-mid so he’ll give us someone else for goals as well,” Taws said.

“It’ll straighten us up completely in our front half.

“You’ve got three forwards now and it really does straighten you right up – whether you’re at Premier level or divvy 3, to have three targets in your front half of the ground is pretty hard for any team to defend, even at divvy 3 level.”