Former VFL star Russell Gabriel joins Hampton Park
Ex-Frankston big man and two-time league medal star Russell Gabriel will give the Redbacks a towering presence as they step into Division 2 in 2021.
Southern
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Russ Gabriel is a big man. And he’s a big recruit for Hampton Park.
Gabriel has signed with the Southern league Redbacks after spending 2019 with Mornington Peninsula Nepean powerhouse Pines.
The 30-year-old is among the most decorated ruckmen in local football.
He won a Casey Cardinia league medal with Doveton in 2009 and shared the award with Berwick star Madi Andrews in 2015.
Gabriel played at the Dandenong Stingrays, had three stints with Frankston in the VFL and spent 2012 in the WAFL.
In the VFL he was named in teams of the year in 2010, 2011 and 2013, and promoted as an AFL prospect.
Gabriel is strong, determined and skilful, and his recruitment is a coup for Hampton Park, which will step up to Division 2 next year after taking the Division 3 premiership in 2019.
The Redbacks’ squad is taking shape under new coach Nathan Wilson, and classy on-ballers Danny Nicholls and Kyle Hendy will be part of it.
The experienced Nicholls played one AFL game for Collingwood in 2007 and later spent a few seasons in the VFL with Casey.
The speedy left-footer was with Mordialloc in 2019, joined Hampton Park for the 2020 season that never was, and has committed for 2021.
It was a similar situation with Hendy, who figured in Highett’s Division 2 premiership in 2018.
The 2019 Southern league representative player, originally from Doveton, has also re-signed with the Redbacks, who have also locked in Jordan Derbyshire from Mordialloc.
The former Edithvale-Aspendale premiership player was with Hampton Park in 2016 and was runner-up in the best and fairest.
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