EFL: Mooroolbark adds Will Fordham and James Charge ahead of 2021
A former North Melbourne Kangaroo and current VFL gun has landed at EFL Division 1 club Mooroolbark, alongside the return of a champion ruckman in a recruiting coup for the Mustangs.
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A former North Melbourne Kangaroo and a star ruckman are the latest additions at Mooroolbark in a recruiting coup for the EFL Division 1 club.
Ex-AFL player and current VFL Frankston star Will Fordham has aligned with the Mustangs, linking up with former Kangaroos teammate Aaron Mullett while versatile big man James Charge has returned to the club.
Fordham was selected by North Melbourne with pick 33 in the 2014 rookie draft and spent three years on the club’s list. While Mooroolbark senior coach Bret Lavars expects Fordham to play the bulk of his footy with Frankston next year, he said Fordham would be a welcomed addition to the midfield whenever he was available.
The 24-year-old brings a wealth of state league experience having also played with ex-North Melbourne VFL affiliate Werribee prior to joining Frankston, where he won the best and fairest in 2019 in his second season with the Dolphins.
“He’s good mates with Aaron (Mullett) – we’ve been in talks with him probably since the start of last year – he’s going to play at Frankston but we will be his affiliate,” Lavars said.
“We’re rapt to have Will on board – he’s a quality person as well as footballer.
“He’s a ripper and he’s looking for a home to play his local footy aside from playing at VFL level with the uncertainty about NEAFL and VFL and how it looks.
“He’s really keen to play for us when he’s available.”
Charge makes the move back to Heights Reserve from Outer East top-flight club Olinda-Ferny Creek where he’s spent the past four seasons, having last played for the Mustangs in 2016.
The four-time Yarra Valley/Outer East league representative featured in the Bloods’ 2017 premiership side in a season where he tied for the top division’s best and fairest award, claimed a third Team of the Year nod and topped the club goalkicking for a second consecutive time.
Charge also played at Lilydale from 2002-2008 and Mount Evelyn from 2009-2011 before crossing to Mooroolbark in 2012.
Lavars said Charge’s addition would add further flexibility to the Mustangs’ line-up.
“He’s got a long and distinguished career and it was only recent that he made an approach to us and asked whether we were open to having a big, older fella coming back, and once we got into talks with him we felt that on and off field he would complement our list,” he said.
“It’s an ever-growing list with young kids coming through and we think that he’s got some experience that he can provide to those boys and help us to improve to have success on the field as well.
“There’ll be times that we’ll play him as our key ruckman and there’ll be times where he’ll pinch-hit forward … (but) predominantly we’ve got him in as a ruckman.
“Having seen how Doncaster East structured up last year, I think having another tall will really help us and hopefully pose some problems for opposition coaches hopefully if the boys can stay fit.”
Lavars said the bulk of the list had recommitted for 2021, with the key omissions being veteran Jarrod Bayliss who will coach Powelltown, and former Wandin and Thornton-Eildon skipper Rhys Chapman who follows Bayliss to the Outer East Division 2 club after two seasons at the Mustangs.
“It’s been a productive off-season really but it’s the cumulation of a lot of hard work and the hours that have gone into it,” Lavars said.
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