Team of the Year goalkicker Chaz Sargeant has left Heidelberg

Heidelberg will be without one of its best avenues to goal in 2021 after Team of the Year forward Chaz Sargeant decided to move to the Goulburn Valley league.

Chaz Sargeant celebrates a goal for Heidelberg. Picture: Chris Eastman

Heidelberg will have to find a new avenue to goal in 2021 after the departure of star forward Chaz Sargeant.

The Tigers goalkicker has lodged a clearance to join Tatura in the Goulburn Valley Football League.

Sargeant booted 34 goals in 16 matches in 2019, to finish equal fifth in the league with teammate Sam Gilmore, and be named centre half-forward in the NFL Division 1 Team of the Year.

It was the second straight season earned the honour after being named on a forward flank in 2018.

Heidelberg coach Danny Nolan said Sargeant would be missed.

Chaz Sargeant gets position on his West Preston-Lakeside opponent.

“He thinks he’s got a year left and just wants to play country footy with his mates,” he said.

“If we had the choice we’d certainly like to keep him but we wish him all the best.

“Some of his mates are playing at Tatura and he was always going to finish up that way, the COVID year probably just brought it forward.”

Sargeant joined Heidelberg in 2013 from Ovens and Murray powerhouse Lavington, booting 168 majors in 116 senior games.

He featured in the 2014 grand final loss to Greensborough but missed the Tigers’ 2016 triumph after being dropped during the finals series.

Despite the disappointment he was named in the best in the reserves’ preliminary final and grand final victories.

Sargeant follows Fletcher McIvor and Jack Blair’s departures since the end of 2019.

Gilmore remains a key cog in the Tigers line-up while the likes of Matt Cecchin and Josh Minogue will have greater responsibility in 2021.

Matt Cecchin celebrates a goal for Heidelberg. Picture: Nathan McNeill.

Nolan said Minogue in particular was looking forward to the challenge.

“We’re hoping some of our young guys like Matt and Josh will fill the void, I think Josh has been dying to be the key forward, the go-to forward,” Nolan said.

“We’ll play two key forwards and then the crumbing group around them.”

While already one of the youngest groups in Division 1, the Tigers will be younger again in 2021.

However, Nolan said the team’s average age was misleading given the experience of some of his players.

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“We’ll definitely be young but a lot of them have still got games under the belt,” he said.

“I think they’re ready to turn into A-list players, it’s just a matter of being given the opportunity.

“I’m expecting them to take a big step forward and this gives them an opportunity in key roles.”

Heidelberg will play the first of three practice matches on March against Bellarine club Anglesea before a Round 1 clash against Hurstbridge at Warringal Park.