Luke Nelson, Nathan Oakes join Tasmanian State League
Without the VFL season almost certainly off, Richmond VFL and Noble Park pair Luke Nelson and Nathan Oakes are off to Lauderdale.
Eastern
Don't miss out on the headlines from Eastern. Followed categories will be added to My News.
They’re Tassie’s new Tigers.
With the VFL season almost certain to be cancelled, Richmond pair Luke Nelson and Nathan Oakes are heading to Tasmania to play for Lauderdale in the State League.
The TSL season starts on Saturday. But Nelson and Oakes must go into isolation for two weeks before they can be part of it.
With Richmond forced to withdraw its VFL team this year, Nelson linked with the Casey Demons as a supplementary-list player.
He had one training session with the Demons before they pulled out of the competition last Friday.
Nelson and Oakes both joined Richmond last year and play at Noble Park in the Eastern league.
Nelson kicked five goals in the second of his seven appearances for the Tigers in 2019.
Oakes didn’t manage a game but was retained on the list after a strong pre-season.
Vermont premiership player Adrian Kalcovski has also joined Lauderdale, the Bombers of the TSL.
Noble Park coach Steve Hughes said he was pleased Nelson and Oakes were making the move.
He said they were emerging players and the experience would be good for them.
“It will be a different world for them after they do the 14 days,’’ he said.
“They’ll get to play footy.’’
Hughes said it had been a “rollercoaster year’’ for Nelson after Richmond and then Casey pulled out of the VFL.
“He had really good feedback from Richmond throughout the pre-season and I thought he was going to get a genuine crack this year. He was very excited about that. Then it got ripped off him like it did everybody.
“Then he gets a look-in at Casey. They like him and he’s in, and then Casey are out. You can imagine the emotions of a young bloke when footy is so important to him … it’s on, it’s off, it’s on, it’s off again.
“I think both the boys have made a really good decision to go and play some footy and have some fun for three or four months.’’
Hughes added with a laugh: “I just hope they don’t enjoy it too much!’ We want them to come back.’’
The TSL has seven teams: Glenorchy, Launceston, Lauderdale, Clarence, North Launceston, North Hobart and Tigers.
Former Frankston VFL captain Paul Kennedy is coaching Glenorchy.
MORE LOCAL FOOTY:
SAM MITCHELL LINKS WITH VAFA CLUB
HOW RADOJEVIC BECAME ONE OF THE VFA’S GREATS