EFL: Wantirna South sign five promising young Vermont players
Wantirna South has secured not one, not two, but five talented young players from Vermont as it aims for a rise up the EFL Division 1 ladder.
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Wantirna South has secured five talented young Vermont players the Devils hope will be senior regulars at Walker Reserve for “the next five to 10 years”.
Pat Wallis, Jack O’Keefe, Hamish McGowan, James Krikas and Charlie Young have each crossed to the EFL Division 1 club after being on the fringe at the competition powerhouse.
The five players featured in Vermont’s reserves premiership this year and each made senior appearances during the campaign.
Former Eagle Jarryd Smith has also signed at Wantirna South after crossing from Wimmera league club Ararat.
Wantirna South football director Rick Moloney said it was hoped the youngsters would form the nucleus of a successful period for the club.
“These guys would be playing consistent senior footy at most other Premier clubs,” Moloney said.
“They were just up against superstars on every line at Vermont. Jack was up against (Jake) Best, (Andrew) Ainger. Hamish was up against (Mitch) Honeychurch, (Adam) Parker.
“Vermont is the powerhouse so its list is obviously unbelievable. You want to try pick off what you can and the clubs below us are doing it to us at the moment, too.
“It’s just the cycle of local footy. We’re just trying to build a good young team.”
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McGowan and Wallis tied for the top-tier under-19s best and fairest in 2017, and O’Keefe topped the Premier Division reserves goalkicking table this year with 58 majors.
Krikas is also a dangerous forward, kicking 46 goals across the past two seasons in the seconds competition.
Young played in the 2016 grand final against Balwyn when he was still eligible for under-19s.
“That shows how much of a talent he is,” Moloney said.
But Moloney said coach Steve Cochrane’s links to Vermont, where he coached from 2014 to 2016, was not a factor in the signings.
“Steve has only really only coached one or two of the guys himself,” he said.
“He didn’t want to start pinching a heap of Vermont guys. We got a couple last year and they came down to a couple of functions, saw the joint was pumping and they just wanted to jump on board.
“They were just getting starved of opportunities because Vermont is such a powerhouse.
“It was just the opportunity to play regular senior footy at a good standard.”
Wantirna South was in relegation territory for much of the second half of the season, only securing its place in the second tier for 2020 with a Round 17 victory against Park Orchards.
But the signings have given the Devils cause for optimism they can return to finals for the first time since the 2016 second-tier grand final defeat.
Moloney said the recruits would help replace some experienced departures.
“(Taylor) Leggate has gone to Boronia and then guys like, over the last few years, (Andy) Teakel, (Daniel) Beddome, (Brad) Hutchinson have retired,” he said.
“We’ve just had to bring some young guys in that hopefully want to spend the next 5-10 years at the footy club.”
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