Outer East: Olinda Ferny-Creek signs Tom Falzon and Alex Mackinnon
The AFL Outer East Premier club has landed a pair of gun recruits from EFL top-flight club North Ringwood, including the grandson of a triple premiership club great. Coach Brendan Donovan explains why they’re set to boost the Bloods’ 2021 campaign...
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The descendent of two distinguished club legends and a gun tall are the latest additions at AFL Outer East Premier outfit Olinda-Ferny Creek.
Midfielder and defender Tom Falzon and versatile tall Alex Mackinnon have put pen to paper at the Bloods with the pair crossing from EFL top-flight club North Ringwood.
Falzon is the grandson of life member and triple Olinda premiership player Paul Jones, and the great grandson of club legend Don Jones, while Mackinnon represented the EFL at under-19 level in 2016 and previously had stints with the Eastern Ranges and the Box Hill Hawks.
“It’s just exciting for the club – it’s always good to get those family stories,” senior coach Brendan Donovan said of Falzon.
“He’s pretty hard-at-it, and we really tried to identify an inside-mid who could help the outside, and that’s where Tom comes into it.
“We don’t talk to a lot of recruits, we just go hard after who we want and we’ve had a reasonable amount of success with that and he’s excited to play footy at Olinda in front of his family as well.”
Donovan said Mackinnon’s ability to play ruck, centre half-forward and centre half-back would bolster the Bloods’ tall stocks following the recent departure of champion ruckman James Charge to Mooroolbark.
“He (Mackinnon) gives us a lot of flexibility – I think it’s good to freshen up a bit and James was such a great part of our side the past few years,” Donovan said.
“The really good thing is we’ve got Sean Atkinson back from injury from 2019 as well – he missed a whole year with a hamstring tendon, and he’ll give us a really good look in the middle as well.
“Between Sean, Josh (Wallis) and Alex, I think we’re going to have some pretty good ruck stocks.”
The club is also set to welcome back 2013 best and fairest Dan Stevens, who hasn’t played since 2018 following a serious leg injury.
“It’s just good for him to come back, at what level is probably up to Dan but it’s another really good story – his family’s been heavily involved with the club for the best part of 20 years,” Donovan said.
“That’s the exciting bit this year, is we’ve got four or five guys coming back from really serious long-term injuries – on a personal level it’s great, from a team level it’s awesome and from a club level it’s even better.”
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