Southern league: Luke McGuane locked in at Port Melbourne Colts

Three wins to start the season and now comes another boost for the Southern league Division 1 club.

Ex-Tiger Luke McGuane has joined Port Melbourne Colts.

Luke McGuane last played football in 2018, as a fly-in for Broadbeach Cats.

This year he’ll be playing a lot closer to home.

The 34-year-old former Richmond and Brisbane player lives at St Kilda and has signed at Southern league Division 1 club Port Melbourne Colts.

He has got to know a few of the Colts players and president Steve Duvnjak through his Albert Park barber shop, Code Black (McGuane is also co-owner of South Melbourne law firm Burch + Co and operates a gymnasium).

McGuane said last night he had missed football and was looking forward to having a run.

“Just want to really be part of it again, being close to a few mates, get some structure and health and fitness,’’ he said.

“There’s also getting that little bit of competitive edge.’’

He said he’d done a little training “but my pre-season really only started when their (Colts’) Round 1 started’’.

Luke McGuane in the Colts jumper.

Before training last night he caught up for a coffee with his former Richmond teammate Aaron Edwards, who is playing with St Kilda City this season.

McGuane is hoping to have his first match for Port Colts in two weeks.

Duvnjak said the club was thrilled to have McGuane join it.

He said the right-footer committed to Colts before COVID-19 ended any hope of a 2020 season.

“He was only going to play a couple of games, but I think now he’s got the itch to pull the boots again,’’ Duvnjak said.

“Once he gets up and running he’ll be a valuable player and also a good leader with his years of experience at the top level of football. I think we’ll improve that bit more with him around.’’

Noting that the Colts had also recruited former Collingwood and North Melbourne defender Marley Williams this year, he said it was clear they had become “a destination club’’.

Selected by Richmond in the 2004 national draft, McGuane had 105 AFL appearances for the Tigers.

He moved to Brisbane in 2014 and played seven matches in two injury-tailed seasons with the Lions.

In 2016 McGuane played in Keilor’s Essendon District league premiership team under the coaching of his cousin Mick.

Under new coach Graeme Yeats, the Colts have started the season with wins over St Kilda City, Highett and St Paul’s.