Club by club recruits and predictions for the GFL in 2023
St Mary’s are the frontrunners, but who has gotten stronger and who will be the biggest threat? We go through every club.
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Can anyone close the gap on St Mary’s? There are plenty of contenders lining up in the GFL and heaps of moves have been made. We run through them all.
BELL PARK
Last year: 9th
IN: Ed Boyer (Skipton), Wilson Mack (Brock/Burrum), Kye Edwards (Lake Wendouree), Dominik Demirovic (Geelong Grammar), James Worme (Sandhurst), Jake Reid (Newcomb)
OUT: Luke Goetz (Bacchus Marsh), Will Christie (Wangaratta), Jackson Bright (retired), Wade McSparron (retired)
Club says: “We are excited for the season ahead, there is no ceiling in terms of our expectations, but we do want to ensure we bring the Bell Park brand to the table week in, week out as best we can. We know with a young group and lots of learning that has happened over summer, things won’t be perfect, especially early, but as long as we bring Bell Park effort, we think we will be competitive.” – coach James Saker
Addy says: Bell Park is in for a learning year under new coach James Saker, with four of its top-line senior talent departing the club and the clear move to go younger.
Prediction: 9th
COLAC
Last year: 4th
In: Jarrod Walters (St Bernard’s), Cooper Hayes (Geelong Amateur)
Out: Dean Felekos (Alvie), Kane Leersen (Birregurra), Henry Walsh (Lismore-Derinallum), Cooper Stephens (Irrewarra-Beeac), Travis Woodmason (retired)
Club says: “I think we’ve lost four players with over 200 games experience so we are going to be a fair bit younger but we will give some of these up and comers a good opportunity. It will be a step forward for the young talent coming through and we’re excited to see what they can do in the next couple of years.” – co-coach Rowan McSparron
Addy says: Last season may have ended with a bitter straight-sets finals defeat but Colac’s list still stacks up well against most opposition. The Tigers will win enough games to make finals. What happens from there is another story.
Prediction: 4th
GEELONG WEST
Last year: 7th
In: Kye Annand (Ocean Grove), Blake Carroll (Koroit), Jack Lanham (Scottsdale), Riley Welsh (Mornington), Jamieson Ballantyne, Kade Lovell, Tex Mitchell (Portland), Patrick Eastman (returning), Josh Sorgiovanni, Matt Sorgiovanni (St Mary’s)
Out: Scott Frangos (Geelong West GDFL), Baxter Mensch (Southport VFL), Grady Slocombe (Ocean Grove)
Club says: “We hope to improve. We won nine games last year so we are certainly looking to be around that mark. Most of (the improvement) will come from within. Our young players will have another year of experience and we will probably be better balanced through our side.” – coach Greg Mellor
Addy says: Could this be the year the Giants break into the top five? Greg Mellor’s team has been close in recent years and have picked up some extra quality. The loss of Geelong West’s best midfielder in Baxter Mensch will hurt the cause but they will have David Handley all season to offset the damage.
Prediction: 7th
GROVEDALE
Last year: 8th
In: Jack Cook (Tyntynder), Kyle Smith (East Point), Nathan McHugh (Broadbeach), Scott Mortor (North Warrnambool), Jack Moylan (Sydney UTS), Harry Grintell (GWS Giants), Eamon Dowd (South Rovers), Tommy Stephen (Geelong Amateur).
Out: Matt Harvey (Strathfieldsaye/overseas), Lachlan Smith (Anglesea), Flynn Young (Newtown & Chilwell), Tom Gillett (Boulder City), Fin Parish (Winchelsea).
Club says: A really positive pre-season campaign for 2023 with good numbers and training intensity combined with good buy in from the playing group. Looking forward to seeing the continued improvement of our playing group with an extra season under their belt.
Addy says: It will be an intriguing season for the Tigers. Coach Daniel Fraser has recruited some gems late, but equally the departure of Lachlan Smith and Flynn Young, on top of the exit of gun spearhead Tom Gillet, may be a good leveller. A finals spot is certainly not out of the question.
Prediction: 6th
Last year: 11th
In: Connor Thar, Mitch Thar (Werribee Districts), Will McKenzie (Noosa Tigers), Oscar Barter (Alvie)
Out: Thewin Robertson (Newcomb), Tadgh Evans (North Adelaide)
Club says: “We will definitely improve. We have lost a couple of our depth players that will hurt us a bit overall but provided we don’t have too many injuries, we should be able to take a step on our competitiveness again.” – Shayne Stone
Addy says: Losing new co-coach Devon Smith to an achilles tear hit the Cats hard after what as a quality pre-season. The build will continue at Lara into 2023. Finals appears a ways off but the Thar brothers should add some class to an already growing nucleus.
Prediction: 10th
LEOPOLD
Last year: Runner-up
In: Daniel Pitcher (returning), Noah O’Brien (Casterton), Will Sheahan (Birchip Watchem), Riley Stone (Gold Coast VFL), Jye Cross (Yarrawonga), Sam Scott, Riley Hayden (Surfers Paradise), Tev Nofi (Drysdale), Billy Ritchie (Bannockburn), Kye Reynoldson (Broadbeach), Jeremy Smith (Modewarre), Seth Fiegert (Grovedale), Andrew Pepper (Hamilton)
Out: Michael Case (Drysdale), Sam Hughes (North Cairns), Dylan O’Brien, Matt Fromholtz (Portarlington), Jai Thompson (Harrow-Balmoral)
Club says: “We understand we played last year without a lot of expectations and we feel internally there are not a lot of expectations but externally there will be based on the year we had. Last year you could say was remarkable from where we started and where we ended up. But we really just want to be reliable this year.” – coach Garry Hocking
Addy says: After riding a wave of momentum to the grand final, Leopold is even better placed in 2023. The Lions have brought a bunch of experienced heads and appear poised to be the biggest challenge to St Mary’s throne.
Prediction: 2nd
NEWTOWN & CHILWELL
Last year: 3rd
IN: Flynn Young (Grovedale), Ryan Eyres (Corowa-Rutherglen), Liam Nash (Mirboo North), Nelson Browne (Cairns City), Andrew Crosbie (Euroa)
OUT: Tavae Sauni (Winchelsea), Jai Sheahan (Geelong Amateur), Darcy Troop (Thomson), Will Lord (Warrnambool), Lachie Waddell
Club says: “The top three will be hotly pursued this year, you’d think St Mary’s and Leopold will be right up there but we expect to improve on our finish last year. We think we’re a real contender this year and we want to go better (than the preliminary final) this season.” – coach Damien McMahon
Addy says: The Eagles have landed some talented players to stock up for another shot at a premiership, but captain Matt McMahon will miss a chunk of the season with a shoulder injury. But Newtown & Chilwell should still finish in finals and give the league a real shake after losing after the siren in the preliminary final last season.
Prediction: 3rd
Last year: 10th
IN: Ravi Schofield, Jackson Smith (Noosa Tigers), Tyson Neale (injury), Zach Adams, Jordan Lane (Kinsborough), Cameron Anderson (Claremont)
OUT: Nick Dixon (Old Geelong), Joel Edwards (Southport), Mitch Langan (Noosa), Phill Bellchambers (Lauderdale), Tom Schwennesen (North Geelong)
Club says: “We’re really excited about this season, our pre-season has been really strong and our young guys are making great strides. We really want to be more competitive against the good sides, win the close games that we were losing last year, and be around the mark pushing for finals.” – coach Darren Winter
Addy says: Perhaps no side will be as hard hit by a single player leaving as North Shore with Nick Dixon, as the former playing coach was arguably the league’s finest midfielder last year. But the Seagulls remain optimistic they are on the way up, the challenge is on them to improve from the five wins they claimed last year.
Prediction: 11th
SOUTH BARWON
Last year: 6th
In: Fraser Fort (Central Districts), Chris Hughes (St Barnard’s), ben Kellett (North Warrnambool), Lachie Middleton (Bannockburn), Jack Shannon (Koondrook-Barham)
Out: Luke Davis, James Syddall (Barwon Heads), Andy Higgins (Boulder City), Ollie Lee (retired), Joel Hogan (travel)
Club says: “I have really enjoyed watching the first two practice games that we have had, it is enjoyable because we have predominantly young players who are still trying to work our how good they can be and what things they need to do to achieve what they want to achieve. It is very exciting and it sparks enthusiasm in the entire coaching group as well.” – coach Mark Neeld.
Addy says: Finals is a must for the Swans in their first year under Mark Neeld. The loss of star ruck Luke Davis will hurt but Fraser Fort should offset that departure. The list at South Barwon is deep and strong and built to contend so the Swans should be aiming to return to the top five.
Prediction: 5th
ST ALBANS
Last year: 12th
IN: Jaymz Farrell (Geelong West), Fletcher Keck (Ocean Grove), Harley Cobb (Lockington-Bamawm United), Nathan Cole (Congupna), Ben Davis (Stawell), Joss Howlett (Longington-Bamawm United)
OUT: Alex Beardsell (Bannockburn), Will Hough (East Geelong), Matt Graham (Belmont Lions), Shaun McNamara (Belmont Lions), Brent Vermeulen (Belmont), Mitch Hovey
Club says: “We will be looking to improve inch by inch in everything we do, on and off the field. We’ve got a really bright core of young players that we want to keep building on.” – Coach Alex Tortora
Addy says: Losing some senior players to other clubs, but with the young side building together and adding a handful of new pieces, expect the Supersaints to improve on last year’s winless season.
Prediction: 12th
Last year: 5th
In: Ben Kamaric (Glenorchy), Angus McKay (Deniliquin), Joey Chaplin (Devonport), Jed Warrin (Shepparton), Archer Dibsdale (Mooroolbark)
Out: Brant Haintz (Springbank), Riley Kershaw (retired), Luke Webb (Strathfieldsaye), James Gow (Koroit), Riley Ferguson (Geelong Amateur)
Club says: “I haven’t seen enough GFL in the last five years to be honest to work out where we will be but I am pretty confident we will be pretty solid opposition no matter who we come up against. I think we have got a lot of good players who can play good footy.” – coach Ron Watt
Addy says: That list of outs hurts, as perhaps no club in the region has lost as much quality this year than Joeys. The midfield will have to be remade but St Joseph’s is a strong junior and will unearth some players. But finals appears to be a stretch in Ron Watt’s first year.
Prediction: 8th
ST MARY’S
Last year: 1st
IN: Nick Stevens (Geelong – AFL), Brayden Ham (Essendon – AFL), Sam Dobson (Koroit), Chris Jansen (Rochester), Luke Hillier (Wagga), Dion Johnstone (North Warrnambool)
OUT: Matt Sorgiovanni (St Mary’s), Josh Sorgiovanni (Geelong West), Brady Pritchard (Ocean Grove), Josh Jaska (Anglesea), Tom Zeitz (Geelong Amateur), Harry Kol (Old Geelong), Tom Lang (Finley), Ben Moloney (Kolora-Noorat), Zak Sherman (travel), Dylan McMahon.
Club says: “We have had turnover from our side in the last game of 2022. We feel comfortable with what we have added through recruitment, what comes up through the 18’s and 2022 listed players that will naturally develop. Finals would be the aim and we take it from there.” – co-coach Travis Robertson
Addy says: Adding former AFL talent will just bolster the club’s ambitions for a third straight flag, but there’s no ignoring a number of key senior players coming out of the side. The Saints have the talent and depth to finish top two, and the experience to challenge for another premiership. They’re not going anywhere.
Prediction: 1st
Originally published as Club by club recruits and predictions for the GFL in 2023
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