MPNFL: EFL star Kurt Lopo joins Edithvale-Aspendale

MPNFL club Edithvale-Aspendale has kicked off its recruiting campaign with a bang, signing an EFL medal winner.

Edithvale-Aspendale has unveiled its first signing of the off season — and it’s a beauty.

Bayswater inside power running midfielder Kurt Lopo joins the Eagles in a significant move.

The 24-year-old won the 2019 Kenneth Wright Medal as best player in the Division 1 Eastern Football League competition.

He also won a best and fairest at Bayswater in 2019 and finished top three in the Waters’ B&F in all of his four seasons with the club.

Lopo was twice named in the Division 1 team of the year for the EFL in 2019 and 2021.

The former Sandringham Zebra is a dynamic midfielder who finds a lot of the footy and his disposals rarely go to waste.

Kurt Lopo takes a kick for Bayswater. Picture: James Ross

New Edi-Asp coach Paul McCormack coached Lopo at both Parkdale Secondary College and at Bayswater and says he will be ideal for the Eagles.

“I’ve coached Kurt since Year 8 at school,’’ he said.

“He was identified as a top prospect in rugby union because of the way he plays, he’s really hard, quick and agile.

“He could have gone down that path but obviously he went the footy path and to the (Sandringham) Dragons and Sandringham in the VFL.

“And then he went out to local footy after that.’’

McCormack said Lopo would set high standards at Edi-Asp.

“When some of those guys leave the higher level they drop off and go and play with their mates,’’ he said.

“Kurt probably went the opposite, he trained harder and he’s a real professional.

“That’s one of the reasons we got him because coming in as a new coach you want your recruits to have high standards and that rubs off on to the playing group. That’s why we got him.’’

Edi-Asp vice president Aaron Martello said the Eagles were set to “sign a few more’’ as they set about strengthening their list.

In other Edi-Asp news, multiple reserves premiership coach Gary Rees is back at the nest, joining the Eagles’ coaching staff.

Rees has been president of MPCA club Langwarrin in recent years.

“It’s good to have him back,” Martello said.

“We’ll take a few ideas from all the successful clubs from around the place. We’ll put them all together and away we go.”

Edithvale-Aspendale finished second bottom on the MPNFL Division 1 ladder this year.

In 2022, the Eagles will be aiming to play finals for the first time since 2018.