Watsonia snaps up former Northern Knights, Vic Metro gun
Watsonia’s NFL Division 2 ambitions have received a massive boost with a former Northern Knights and Vic Metro representative signing on for 2021, while key 2020 recruits re-commit.
Local Footy
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Watsonia has secured an early contender for recruit of the off-season, snapping up former Vic Metro midfielder Lachie Potter.
Potter was in AFL Draft calculations before a serious shoulder injury derailed his NAB League under-18 season with Northern Knights in 2019.
He had been hoping to return to the Knights as a 19-year-old before COVID-19 struck and the 2020 season was cancelled.
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Potter’s arrive is a massive boost to the Saints hopes in NFL Division 2 in 2021.
The speedster featured for Vic Metro as an attacking half-back but can push up to the wing and into the midfield and break lines with his run and carry and long kicking.
Watsonia coach George Lattouf was rapt to have secured the talented youngster.
“Lachie comes with some great qualities, he’s been through the Knights system and is a Vic Metro representative as well,” he said.
“We kept an eye on him last year, had a chat and it’s great to get him on board.
“He’s going to be really good for the young guys, he fits right in to that age bracket at Watsonia, our 18 to 22-year-olds.”
Potter will link up with his father, Brett, who is the football director at AK Lines Reserve.
He played eight NAB League games for the Knights in 2019, averaging 17 disposals, three marks and 2.5 tackles a game.
The South Morang junior also featured in all four games for Vic Metro at the Under-18 National Championships, averaging 12.5 touches and 3.5 tackles.
“I said we’d like to have you on board and spoke about where we’re going as a senior squad and he wanted to get back into it and have some fun,” Lattouf said.
Watsonia has also been buoyed by the signing of key 2020 off-season recruits Jacob Pickett, Jesse Presser and Xavier Cahill.
Pickett and Presser crossed from Greensborough and Cahill from Montmorency.
Lattouf said it showed the club’s culture was attractive to quality players.
“As a coach, I’m very excited about the future of our club with all these young guys,” he said.
“The good thing about the last seven months of lockdown, all our playing group have remained close.
“We’ve signed all the players that came across for 2020, guys like Jacob, Jess and Xavier who came from Division 1 clubs re-committed straight away, which is fantastic, it shows we’re a destination club.
“That’s the culture we’re building at our footy club.”