Lower Plenty secure three players to bolster squad ahead of NFL Division 2 return
Lower Plenty has secured three players to bolster its squad for its return to NFL Division 2 in 2020, including a young defender from Yarrawonga who first met his future teammates on holidays.
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Friendships sparked on an off-season holiday have helped secure Lower Plenty it’s first signing for 2020.
James Elliott will cross from Ovens and Murray powerhouse Yarrawonga next season after initially meeting Bears players holidaying near his hometown.
The 24-year-old defender trained with Lower Plenty last pre-season but was restricted to just one O&M reserves game this season due to a knee injury.
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Bears coach Ben Turner was looking forward to seeing him in action as the club returns to NFL Division 2.
“A group of our players holiday in the area and got to know James, he’s actually cousins with a former player as well,” he said.
“James trained with us over the pre-season and was commuting back to play with Yarrawonga this season but it meant he got to know a lot of the people at the footy club.
“We opened up discussions with him at season’s end and now that’s he’s living in Melbourne he was happy to commit to play for us, which is terrific.
Elliott in one of three additions so far this off-season, former junior Kieran Malone will return after an impressive season at Old Eltham Collegians, while Tom Scott has crossed from Macleod.
After starting the season at Banyule, Malone crossed to Old Eltham mid-season and produced an outstanding campaign that saw him win the Turtles’ best-and-fairest, finish equal fourth in the Division 3 league medal and make the Team of the Year in just 11 games.
Scott played seven senior games and six in the under-19s for the Roos and is keen to further his exposure at the senior level.
“(Kieran) is an ex-junior, so he comes across as a one-point player,” Turner said.
“He’s one we’ve been watching from afar … he’s had a terrific season — Team of the Year, best-and-fairest winner — and he’s still only 23.
“(Tom) is a local boy, he works at the local pub. It’s funny how things happen.
“He’s a good young fella and keen to progress his footy as much as he can, he played seven games in the seniors and six in the 19s, so no doubt that’s one of the motivations for coming.”
After winning the Division 2 premiership in 2018, Lower Plenty makes an immediate return in 2020 after winning just two games in Division 1 this season.
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