Local footy: WRFL club Deer Park locks in two ex-AFL players for 2021
Deer Park’s pursuit of another Western Region Football League flag has received a boost with four significant signings, including two players who earned a shot at the elite level.
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Predictions of Deer Park’s demise may have been greatly exaggerated.
The Western Region Football League powerhouse has locked in four significant signings for 2021, including former AFL-listed players Todd Elton and Damien Cavka.
Billy Cannolo has made the move from VFL outfit Coburg, while young gun PJ Manivong has returned to the competition after stints at Camperdown and St Kevin’s.
The Lions, who have claimed the past seven Division 1 flags, will have 43 player points next season after they were set to have 41 in 2020 before the campaign was canned.
“Getting the extra two points gave us a bit of flexibility to be able to add to our list after losing so many players from our grand final side,” Deer Park coach Mark McGoldrick said.
“They’re four exciting signings that will add a lot of class to our footy team.
“It just adds more quality players to the competition, which is great.”
Elton, who is close friends with assistant coach Brendan Fevola, spent six years on Richmond’s list from 2012-17 and made 10 senior appearances.
The 27-year-old represented the Tigers and Frankston at VFL level and spent last season alongside Fevola at Hastings, where he kicked 16 goals from 14 games and earned four mentions in the best.
He will bring valuable leadership to a club going through a transition period.
“Todd will play a key position at centre half-forward or centre half-back,” McGoldrick said.
“He’ll give us a lot of flexibility, he’s a class player, drafted to the AFL and he’ll certainly be a great acquisition for us.”
Cavka has made 16 appearances for Keilor over the past three seasons, including just two in 2019, after calling time on his AFL career with West Coast because of a hereditary foot condition.
The hard-running midfielder did not feature in the Blues’ EDFL grand final triumph but enjoyed a strong pre-season before coronavirus intervened.
“We’ve been chasing Damien for a couple of years now,” McGoldrick said.
“He was going to come across (for the 2019 season), but he was contracted at Keilor. Then he actually got injured. He was looking for a change and I’m pretty close to him.
“Hopefully he’ll have a change of luck with his body, but he’ll be an exciting player in the competition. He’s 6 foot 3, can run, has terrific endurance, so he’ll be a super acquisition.”
Midfielder/forward Cannolo has played 27 games for Coburg in the past two seasons after coming through Calder Cannons.
“We stumbled across him, and he used to go and watch Carlton every week and used to wear Fev’s number,” McGoldrick said of the 21-year-old.
“I got Fev to give him a call as well, so that certainly helped. He’s a terrific pick up.”
Manivong, 22, has spent time at the Western Jets and in Werribee’s development squad.
He can also fill a role in the midfield or forward half and claimed four consecutive league best-and-fairest awards as a junior player at Altona.
“He’s very close with a couple of our young blokes, so he actually made with them and said he was interested in a change,” McGoldrick said.
“Luckily enough, he nominated us as his club.”
McGoldrick said 2020 recruits Ryley Barrack, who finished second in Werribee’s best-and-fairest in 2017, and Lachlan Smart were staying put.
Playing assistant and captain Jack Purton-Smith, Jack Redpath, Scott Greenhough and James Wong have also re-signed.
The Lions will field a new-look line-up next season, with irreplaceable champions Kwame McHarg and Chris Stewart headlining the departures since the end of the 2019 campaign.
Jase Perkins, Jackson Barling, Max Bruin, Troy Kelm, Shaun Harrison, Shannon Byrnes, Daniel Cooper and Kevin Klix have also exited.
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