Southern league 2020: champion Kwame McHarg joins Port Melbourne Colts
After seven seasons — and seven flags — with Deer Park, Kwame McHarg has signed at Port Melbourne Colts. The suburban football champion tells why he has made the big move to the Southern league.
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The clearance is in.
Speculation has turned to fact.
The Western Region Football League’s best player, Kwame McHarg, has signed at Port Melbourne Colts and is heading to Southern ranks.
McHarg, 28, spent seven seasons with Deer Park and they were filled with honours and accolades.
He won seven premierships, four club best and fairests, a league medal and two best-afield awards in grand finals.
In his 136 matches for the club he was named in the best 82 times and booted 343 goals as a midfielder and forward.
“He’s a freak,’’ a former WRFL coach said yesterday.
“He’s strong and powerful and he’s quick and agile. He’d be the first player you’d pick for any (suburban) team.’’
Speaking at Colts training last night at Murphy Reserve, McHarg said he had enjoyed his time at Deer Park and was proud of his association with the club.
“I never pictured going there and winning seven flags in a row,’’ he said.
“Some of the grand finals were tough, some were easy. But it was a great ride and I’ll be forever grateful to the Deer Park Football Club.’’
McHarg – a St Kilda City junior who went on to play for Sandringham Dragons in the TAC Cup and Williamstown in the VFL – said he had crossed to Colts because he was looking for a change.
“Just wanted to mix it up … I’ve been doing the same thing for seven years,’’ he said.
“I’ve got some good mates down here so I thought it would be something different. Everything’s looking really good.’’
His Deer Park teammates Jase Perkins and Max Bruin have also joined Port Melbourne Colts, leaving them confident they can build on last season’s finals showing.
It’s a return to Colts for Perkins, who was a prolific goalkicker for Deer Park.
He slotted 76 goals last year, 68 in 2018, 59 in 2017 and 66 in 2016.
Bruin was Deer Park’s best finals player last year. He played in five flags for the club.
McHarg, a personal trainer, said he watched Port Colts in the finals last year, was impressed and believed they could go further in 2020.
He said he motivated by “success and success’’.
“I want to win the flag,’’ he said. “That’s why I’ve come here.’’
Port Melbourne Colts coach and former Western Bulldogs star Lindsay Gilbee played with McHarg at Williamstown when he was coming back with injury at the Dogs.
He said McHarg went on to be an outstanding and successful player in the WRFL.
“We’re rapt to have him. He’s a great pick-up, along with Jase Perkins coming back as a one-pointer,’’ Gilbee said.
“We can talk about our recruits, but the other really pleasing thing is all our re-signings. We’ve lost a couple (Callum Cathcart has transferred to Ormond and Sean Gunning has returned to Caulfield) but everyone has come back and that’s how you build success.
“The blokes we recruited last year, Matt Sondergeld, Tyler Jones and Chris Deluca, they’ve stuck around and suddenly they drop down in points and that helps in regards to selection. It will make it really competitive for spots.’’
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Gilbee, 38, played three matches last year but he confirmed he intended to play more regularly in 2020 “if the body holds up’’.
“But I’d never want to take the spot of someone who has been training all the time,’’ he said.
Port Melbourne Colts president Steve Duvnjak said the Colts had become a “destination club’’.
“I’m excited to see our club enter the second year of our rebuild, and hopefully finish with a spot in the big dance,’’ he said.
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