EFL: Host of key names recommit to Premier club Doncaster
EFL Premier club Doncaster has re-signed a host of star names in preparation for 2021, including its triple league best and fairest winner and a champion veteran defender.
Local Footy
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EFL Premier Division outfit Doncaster has moved to re-sign its key stars ahead of season 2021, including its triple league best and fairest winner and champion veteran defender.
League legend and club captain Chris Annakis and key back Matt Schimmelbusch headline the re-signings, along with former Melbourne ruckman Jake Spencer, midfielder Jack Mahon and regulars Jake Kalanj and David Molloy also among those putting pen to paper.
The club has also confirmed the improved health of young gun Marcus Alessi who will be back for the start of pre-season following a shock diagnosis of multiple lymphomas on the brain earlier this year.
Meanwhile, boom recruits Chris Colombo (Heathmont) and Kane Henden (Surrey Park) have recommitted, and tall defender Doug Lawrence has aligned with the Sharks after making the move from Apsley in the NEAFL and signing to play with VFL outfit Port Melbourne. He’s slated to play for Doncaster when VFL duties permit.
Doncaster senior coach Stewart Kemperman lauded the commitment of those re-signed to play in 2021.
“We’ve worked really hard – (football operations manager) Mick Gillin and president Sean O’Gorman are working really hard to retain the list that we had from the season that didn’t quite eventuate,” Kemperman said.
“We’ve still got a little bit of work to go on it but we’re certainly on our way in getting the services of all those players, and they’ve been terrific with the situation with the salary cap and everything as well.”
Kemperman paid tribute to decorated club great Matt Schimmelbusch who is set for another campaign after more than 250 matches and a string of accolades with the Sharks.
“(Matt’s) one of those players that has been around the club for so long and as a club, you need those players to hang around,” Kemperman said.
“Schimma’s been a terrific servant and I think he may have been considering leaving it there, but in the last month or so he certainly wants to give it another go – hopefully we can do him justice by putting in some good performances on the field.”
Looking after the existing stock has remained the top priority at Schramms Reserve during the season lay-off, along with a push to reintroduce under-19s to the club.
“Our next priority from my point of view is youth, and invest time and effort and energy into getting under-19s up and going at the club,” Kemperman said.
“It’s been a number of years since they’ve been a part of the club.
“Not as a tokenistic asset to the footy club but to generate a clear pathway through to senior footy and making it a home for those young men and their families that they’ll hopefully be part of for many years to come.”
Kemperman said that while recruiting for 2021 could be a tough prospect for many local clubs under the current circumstances, the ever-changing landscape of list sizes in elite and state footy could fall favourably for grassroots clubs.
“Once we know where our list is at, we’ll look to try and add what we need to where we can but I think it’s going to be incredibly difficult for clubs to get players who have previously committed to clubs for 2020,” he said.
“But that being said, the changing nature of the AFL lists and the VFL lists and what that does to local footy and players filtering down and out of those systems, that’s going to take time to play out as well so I think when that happens a lot of clubs will become a bit more active (if) those players become available.”
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