NFL 2019: Six Bundoora players earn VFL contracts for 2019 including Dale Marshall and Daniel Guccione

Selection meetings at Bundoora will include a check of the VFL line-ups this year with six Bulls to be listed by state league clubs.

Danny Younan has made a huge impact when available for Bundoora. Picture: George Salpigtidis.

Selection meetings at Bundoora will include a check of the VFL line-ups this year with six Bulls to be listed by state league clubs.

Daniel Guccione and Dale Marshall have earned contracts with Essendon, where star forward Danny Younan is one of the Bombers’ VFL vice-captains.

OFF-SEASON HQ: LATEST COACH, PLAYER MOVES IN LOCAL FOOTY

TARGET 1000 CAMPAIGN: HOW YOU CAN HELP COBURG VFL

WHERE TRAVIS CLOKE WILL MAKE CAMEO LOCAL FOOTY APPEARANCE

WE LIST THE MOST-IMPROVED PLAYERS IN PREMIER CRICKET

WHY EX-AFL STAR HAS RETURNED TO HIS ROOTS IN COACHING ROLE

Bundoora has also landed former St Kilda forward Ray Connellan as an aligned player after he signed with Essendon VFL, while Luke Collins is the fifth Bull on the Bombers’ list.

Coburg co-captain Peter McEvoy is also aligned with the Northern Football League club, but is unlikely to feature due to his VFL schedule.

“We’re not going to be asking them to come back during their bye weeks if they have played every game in the VFL,” Bundoora coach Andrew Sturgess said.

“The beauty of what we want to try and do is encourage guys like Dale Marshall and Daniel Guccione to go and play at the highest level they can.

“If that means that we don’t see them all year and they play VFL football, we see that as a positive, not our loss.”

Luke Collins kicks for goal with Montmorency last season.

Daniel Guccione is edged under the ball by Northcote Park’s Ash Close. Picture: Ian Currie

VFL team selection impacting Northern Football League clubs has become more commonplace since the axing of the development league.

Sturgess said the benefit players such as Marshall and Guccione had gained from being in Essendon’s program was already evident.

“They have been brilliant in popping their heads in and even just giving some coaching advice to some of our under-19s guys that maybe they wouldn’t have before,” Sturgess said.

“We are all for that VFL exposure.”

Sturgess said he expected the pair would play “a fair bit” for Bundoora during the first year of their VFL careers.

“They will be development players and probably get more exposure in years to come,” he said.

“Luke Collins is another one that through no fault of his own, but probably just the position he plays and that Essendon have got a swag of small forwards.”

Sturgess has taken over from premiership coach Ricky Dyson, who has joined Essendon VFL’s coaching staff.

The Bulls’ additions are headlined by three-time VFL best and fairest winner Daniel Venditti (Beaufort), while Adran Stefanile and Liam Gray (Mernda), Avondale Heights’ Matthew Evans and Whittlesea on-baller Brenton Briffa are other new faces.

Bundoora finished fourth last season and starts its campaign on April 5 against Northcote Park.

MORE NORTHERN FL NEWS

LOWER PLENTY READY TO EMBRACE DIVISION 1 PRESSURE

HOW ST MARY’S PLANS TO CONSOLIDATE IN DIVISION 2

MACLEOD KEEPS ADDING QUALITY TO LIST FOR 2019

WHY DIVISION 2 CLUBS WILL BE SAFE FROM THE DROP