VAFA: New coach, recruits for Old Peninsula in Division 1

MPFNL premiership coach Brendan Dunne talks about why he jumped at the chance to lead Old Peninsula, VAFA’s hungriest club.

Brendan Dunne . Picture: Chris Eastman

The Pirate push is on.

Since being appointed coach of Old Peninsula in September, Brendan Dunne has been hitting the phones, talking to potential recruits and generally whipping up interest and excitement.

He’s determined to see the Pirates, who’ve never won a senior premiership, thrive in 2025 — and climb the ranks in the Victorian Amateur Football Association.

Old Peninsula has announced two key recruits already — former Frankston VFL midfielder Max Kleverkamp and key position Jordan Pomeroy, who’s returning to the Pirates after four years at Karingal in the MPFNL.

Max Kleverkamp playing for Lauderdale in Tasmania.

Jordan Pomeroy.

More recruits will follow, the new coach insists.

“I’m ringing anyone who went to the school (Peninsula Grammar),’’ Dunne said.

“Those kids have mates, that’s how we try to recruit.

“There are some guys are maybe towards the end of their career, and Div 1 of the MPFNL might be too much for them now, but they’d definitely be very good players in our comp.”

Dunne, a premiership coach at Hastings in 2016, hopes to strengthen Old Peninsula so it can progress.

In recent years he’s been on Hastings’ coaching staff and was interim coach this year. At season’s end he intended to step away from footy — until Old Peninsula came calling.

“I played my first two years of senior footy there (at the Pirates) as a 16 and 17 year old,’’ he said.

“I met with them for a coffee and they asked me how they could improve their club and I’ve watched from afar for the past 20 odd years so I said, ‘this is what I’d be doing’.

“Then they rang me three or four weeks later and said, ‘I know you said you’re done but is there any interest’, and then it went from there.

“It’s been refreshing that ammos side of it…it feels a bit more like what footy used to be.

“Because they’re all mates from school most of them there’s this underbelly of they’re playing footy because they love it which is fantastic.

“Obviously my goal is to try and get them back up to B grade. They’ve never won a senior flag. I’ll jump on and see what happens.’’

Old Peninsula missed finals this year in VAFA Division 1, finishing fifth with a 10-8 record. Bailey Payze kicked 47 goals, second most in the comp. Jake Lovett, Kurt Thiele and Finn Bardolph also had strong seasons.