MPNFL 2021: Karingal signs former AFL player Tom Curren

Amid a shroud of secrecy, MPNFL club Karingal has signed a former St Kilda midfielder on the eve of the season.

Tom Curren playing for St Kilda. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

It had been in the pipeline for a while.

And Karingal was thrilled — not to mention relieved — when it signed former St Kilda midfielder Tom Curren last week.

Curren had been training with Karingal for a few months since returning home from Perth, where he played with Claremont in the WAFL.

But the Bulls were worried a rival club might “swoop” on their potential star recruit.

“We tried to keep it under wraps because there were a few clubs out there trying to swoop on him when they got wind that he was in town,” Karingal coach Luke Forsyth said.

Curren, who played 25 games for St Kilda between 2011-16, will line-up for Karingal against Mornington on Good Friday.

“It was good to finally get it signed sealed and delivered,” Forsyth said.

Tom Curren (second from right) signed with Karingal last week.

Curren has played in all of Karingal’s practice matches.

“It’s not like he’s coming in as a recruit on the eve of round one,’’ Forsyth said.

“He’s really bought into what we’ve been doing over the past few months.

“He will be ready to go for Good Friday.”

Forsyth said Karingal’s many youngsters would benefit from having Curren around.

Young Bull Lachlan Linder-Saunders.

“He’s highly skilled and his credentials obviously speak for themselves,” Forsyth said.

“But I think we’ll get just as much from him off field as we will on field.

“While he was with Claremont he worked in a welfare role with a lot of the indigenous kids.”

Forsyth said Karingal’s side would be vastly different to its grand final line-up in 2019.

The Bulls will be younger and faster.

“We will have a lot of the guys who were probably playing the under 19s grand final that day,” he said.

“Now they’re senior footballers who have earned their spots. We will have a few debutants.”

Old Peninsula trio Sam Glenn, Jordan Pomeroy and Ash Collins are significant additions, as is Beaconsfield player Jack Harmes.

Club great Luke Van Raay has retired after more than two decades of sterling service.

Karingal champion Michael Burke is playing on.