Southern league 2019: 208cm former VFL ruckman signs at Cheltenham

Cheltenham boosted its big-man division by signing 208cm former Sandringham and Port Melbourne ruckman Charlie Kelso.

Cheltenham was due for some good fortune.

A fortnight ago the Rosellas lost their 2019 marquee signing, former Adelaide Crows wingman and Sandringham VFL co-captain Myke Cook, with a season-ending knee injury.

A few weeks earlier another of their former Sandy VFL players, key forward Josh Fox, had also gone down with an ACL.

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Now comes better news for Chelt: they’ve signed 208cm former VFL Sandringham and Port Melbourne ruckman Charlie Kelso.

Coach Des Ryan says he’s been keen on Kelso for some time.

The 24-year-old has been training with the Rosellas for a month and the club lodged a clearance for him last night.

“If I was to go through my phone records, it’s at least three years since we first made contact,’’ he said.

“I think ‘Foxie’ (Fox) put me on to him originally.

“Just really pleased to get him. Anyone of his stature will be very handy in our comp, obviously. He can play the game. He’s very athletic. He knows his way around a football field. He’s got an appetite for it. He’ll be a very big inclusion for us.

“With his Sandy connection he’s mates with Dylan (Weickhardt), ‘Cookie’ (Cook), Josh Fox,

Jack Davis, Will McTaggart. There’s that desire to be together and play footy together.’’

Kelso played for the Sandringham Dragons in the Under 18 competition before joining Sandringham and, in 2017, Port Melbourne, where he played four senior games in its premiership season.

His arrival at the Jack Barker Oval adds to a tall division of Sean McLaren, McTaggart and Richard Ryan, and will allow Chelt to use Ryan in other areas.

“Richard has been phenomenal this year,’’ Ryan said.

“In fact ever since he crossed from Beaumaris he’s been a hard worker, competing as an undersized ruckman.

“But his best footy is probably at centre half back, centre half forward. With Charlie as an inclusion it allows us to structure up how we’d prefer to, as opposed to how we have to.’’

Owing to the interleague program there are no Division 1 games this Saturday.

The Rosellas, 3-2, visit Port Melbourne Colts in Round 6.

Dingley signing Vergim Faik (left) in a ruck contest for Noble Park.

Meanwhile, Dingley has also added to its ruck stocks, signing former Noble Park player Vergim Faik.

The athletic Faik proved himself one of the best big men in the Eastern league but dropped out of football last year.

He joins former Noble teammates Josh Ferguson, Chris Horton-Milne, Liam Hard and Ray Lengyel at the Dingoes.

Faik also played alongside Dingley forward Dan Farmer at Frankston in the VFL in 2014.