Outer East league: Yea Tigers setting their sights on season 2024

Footballs pinged around, players worked up a sweat and high fives were thrown around liberally. Yea footy club was back, and with a stack of new signings.

Yea senior coach Mitch Skelly (left) and assistants Daniel Evans and Jess Kennedy. PIcture: Facebook

Footballs pinged around, players worked up a sweat and high fives were thrown around liberally.

Yea footy club was back.

After being forced to withdraw their teams from the 2023 Outer East league season due to a lack of player numbers, the Tigers have worked hard to make it back.

After a rigorous recruiting drive, Yea had 34 on the track last Sunday and firmly on track to field firsts and seconds — and hopefully an under 18s — in season 2024.

The Tigers will take their place in Division 1 of the OEFNL.

“We’ve signed a lot of players and we’re still building,” Yea president Peter Armstrong said.

“To have 34 at our first training session is good. We haven’t had that for a long time.

“It was good to see a lot of younger blokes and a lot of new people as well as players coming back…it was a great atmosphere, they all enjoyed it, and (new coach) Mitch Skelly ran a good training session.”

Mitch Skelly.

Josh Bennett playing for Forest Hill. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Skelly is a much-travelled coach, having coached the Heidelberg women’s team to the Northern League’s Division Two Grand Final after starting his career in charge of AFL London women’s team Wandsworth.

He also coached England’s international women’s team during his time in the Old Dart, and he led Darebin in 2019-20.

Yea’s assistant coaches are former Carlton AFLW player Jess Kennedy and Yea 200-gamer Daniel Evans, who returns to the club after a stint with Forest Hill as their playing assistant coach for the past two seasons.

Kennedy made her Carlton debut in Round 1, 2017, in the club and the league’s inaugural match at Ikon Park against Collingwood.

Armstrong said “a lot of work” has gone into getting Yea back up and going for the 2024 season.

“We’ve reached out, made a lot of phone calls, and we’ve got the right coaching staff,” he said.

“A lot of ringing around, making sure everyone knows where we are at and are confident that the club’s going to rebuild properly.”

Armstrong added: “It’s for the community really.”

Yea’s signings include:

*The dashing Lachy Beattie from Whittlesea, premiership player Chris Graham, goal kicker Trent McMahon, Nick Gilbee back from Healesville, Hayden Witton, Cameron Evans back from Forest Hill, Aidan McSpeerin, ex-captain Patrick Evans, ruckman Darcy Pell, defender Mitch Ryan, Euroa midfielder Jack Christie and Ben Sandells, Josh Buxton and Joey Bennett from Forest Hill.