EFL: Eltham captain Bradyn Taglieri joins Eastern Football League club Balwyn
Balwyn will rely on local talent rather than high-profile signings if it is to return to Eastern Football League finals in 2019.
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Balwyn will rely on local talent rather than high-profile signings if it is to return to Eastern Football League finals in 2019.
The Tigers missed finals for the first time in 23 years last season, finishing two games outside the top five with a 10-8 record.
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Eltham captain Bradyn Taglieri has crossed to the EFL from the Northern Football League in a boost to Balwyn’s midfield group.
Doncaster East premiership player Jack Martin and East Ringwood onballer Alex Urban, who was aligned with Sandringham this year, are the other noteworthy additions at Cherry Rd over the off-season.
Balwyn in recent years has been renown for landing ex-AFL and VFL players, with football director Paul Johnson acknowledging equalisation measures had forced the Tigers to alter their recruiting strategy.
“We’re looking to boost the list by acquiring local talent to give us greater coverage across the ground and depth,” Johnson said.
“With the points system, it’s harder to recruit to the top end.
“We’ve always been a club that believes in having a good list of 30 blokes that can play senior football.
“We believe we still have the nucleus of a good side and that we just need some hard-working players and good local talent that will allow us, with the points system, to put an even spread on the ground.”
Johnson said Balwyn’s list was “still a work in progress”.
The Tigers will also be hoping to see more of Charlie Haley and Cameron Manuel next year after the pair suffered injury-interrupted campaigns in 2018.
“We believe we weren’t that far away last year, albeit we finished sixth, so we’re still looking to add a couple of players to it and still talking to a few,” he said.
“We’re quite happy with where we’re at. We’re just trying to get the side into a competitive situation across the board.”
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