Mornington Peninsula league: Sorrento adds six recruits for 2023
The Sharks are set bounce back strongly in 2023 after securing a raft of decorated recruits, including a VFL best and fairest winner and a trio of WAFL stars.
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Sorrento has enjoyed a productive off-season, casting its recruiting net far and wide as it looks to rebound from a mediocre 2022 season in MPNFL Division 1.
At last count, the Sharks had secured six recruits, headlined by club favourite Chad Harris, who has returned from a successful stint with Subiaco in the WAFL.
Harris’ Subiaco teammate Aaron Brennan, a 6’3 key forward, has also joined Sorrento.
Brennan is the son of former West Coast Eagles premiership full-back Michael Brennan.
Sorrento has also signed former Subiaco midfielder Jack Beverley, who won a best and fairest at his club in Perth this year.
Rosebud best and fairest winner and former Essendon VFL midfielder Liam McKenna is also a key pick-up, joining Sorrento after establishing himself as one of the leading players in the MPNFL this year.
Nick Jamieson, a former Footscray VFL best and fairest winner, is another notable signing. He played in a VFL premiership with the Doggies and was a VFL team of the year selection. Jamieson has been a dominant player with Tongala in the Murray league in the past two seasons, winning two club best and fairests and a league medal.
Jared Risol, a key forward/ruckman from Caulfield Grammarians, has also joined the Sharks.
Sorrento has also gained the respected Graeme Yeats as a senior assistant coach. Yeats coached Port Melbourne Colts in Southern league last season.
Sorrento premiership player Leigh Treeby has returned to the club as an assistant coach.
The club also hopes to field an Under 19s team in 2023. The first training session is on January 16.
But the Sharks have also had some big “outs”, with Mitch Hallahan indicating he won’t play in 2023, Nick Corp moving on and Daniel Grant retiring.
Ruckman Jon Croad has moved back to Queensland.
Sorrento coach Leigh Poholke said the changes would make the Sharks a stronger outfit in 2023.
“We’ve brought in three guys who are 24, with Chad, Aaron and Jack who have all played a large amount of state league football,’’ Poholke said.
“And we bring in Jamo who is 29, Liam who is 30 and Jared’s 31.
“We’ve lost some experience and some really good footballers who did a great job for us for a long time but we bring in a lot of kids.
“And Shannon (Gladman), (Daniel) Hughesy, Byrna (Zach Byrns) and Brigga (James Brigden), these guys are all in that prime age now.
“And having Graeme Yeats to run the bench will be handy. He’s been great so far.
“And Leigh Treeby will take our midfield. He’s been training the house down, at 39 he’s still as fit and tough as ever. The boys love him, he’s just really direct and hard which us a great mix for me.”
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