GFL, GDFL, BFL player movements for 2022/23 off-season
There has been plenty of movement so far between teams ahead of 2023, with premiership stars leaving and young guns returning. Follow every club here.
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From premiership stars to young guns, Geelong’s local football teams have been recruiting relentlessly as clubs prepare for pre-season to begin in November.
Follow along for all the transfer and signing news here.
GFL
St Mary’s
No signings confirmed
Leopold
No signings confirmed
Newtown & Chilwell
No signings confirmed
Colac
Tom Simpkin (South Colac)
The brother of former St Kilda star Tom Simpkin says he has “no doubt” the key defender can rediscover his form and become an elite GFL player again.
Joffy Simpkin has given the best indication yet that younger sibling Tom can return to his best after the 31-game Saint announced he would make a comeback.
Tom will return to Colac next season, three years after exiting the Tigers on the back of a horror injury run, which included successive knee reconstructions.
Jarrod Walters (Northern Blues)
St Joseph’s
Jed Warrin (Shepparton)
Archer Dibsdale (Mooroolbark)
New St Joseph’s coach Ron Watt has confirmed two recruits for the 2023 GFL season, however two current stars have departed the club.
Three-time premiership player Riley Ferguson has headed back to junior club Geelong Amateur, while star midfielder James Gow has moved to the Northern Territory.
Jed Warrin (Shepparton) has made his way to Herne Hill Reserve, however, as has Archer Dibsdale (Mooroolbark).
“He (Warren) has moved down here for work and we had a chat to him and he’s decided he’s going to play with us,” Watt said.
“He’s a quick midfield, half-forward type player, but he himself is a development project as well.
“They (Warren and Dibsdale) are young guys as well and they’ll be finding their way but they come with a good reputation and they are certainly pretty athletic and they look like they might be able to play a bit.”
South Barwon
Ben Kellett (North Warrnambool)
Geelong West
No signings confirmed
Grovedale
Tommy Stephen (Geelong Amateur)
Grovedale coach Daniel Fraser is hoping that his new recruit Tommy Stephen could be the “last piece of the puzzle” for his forward line in 2023.
Stephen crosses to the Tigers after playing seven senior games for Geelong Amateur in 2022 as well as with Geelong Grammar.
Fraser said the small forward, who is currently preparing for Year 12 exams, would add some “leg speed” to the Tigers’ front half next GFL season.
Bell Park
No signings confirmed
North Shore
No signings confirmed
Lara
Connor Thar (Werribee Districts)
Devon Smith (Essendon)
Lara has bolstered its hopes of a rise up the GFL ladder in 2023 with the signature of freshly retired Essendon star and former junior Devon Smith as playing co-coach.
The 182-game veteran announced his retirement from the top level earlier this month and will now swap the red sash for blue and white hoops next season.
The 29-year-old said he was excited to return to his junior club after 11 years in the AFL system.
St Albans
No signings confirmed
BFL
Barwon Heads
Luke Davis (South Barwon)
Barwon Heads has pulled off a major signing coup, luring forward James Syddall and ruck Luke Davis from South Barwon to join the Seagulls in 2023.
Davis was one of the GFL’s best players, leading the league in hit outs (600) for the season and being named in the team of the year, while Syddall slotted a goal a game in a half forward role.
The pair of Swans will join Barwon Heads for the 2023 season, as will former South Barwon forward Ryley Stuhldreier, who plied his trade for Bacchus Marsh in 2022.
James Syddall (South Barwon)
Ryley Stuhldreier (Bacchus Marsh)
Torquay
No signings confirmed
Drysdale
No signings confirmed
Modewarre
No signings confirmed
Geelong Amateur
Riley Ferguson (St Joseph’s)
Jai Sheahan (Newtown & Chilwell)
Josh Grabowski (East Keilor)
Tom Zeitz (St Mary’s)
Geelong Amateur has lured another star junior home, with Newtown & Chilwell gun Jai Sheahan returning to Queens Park Reserve for the 2023 BFL season.
St Mary’s Tom Zeitz has also crossed to Ammos, after playing four senior games and eight reserves games for the Saints this season.
Geelong Amateur co-coach Daniel Holroyd said the pair would add some flexibility to his line-up.
Queenscliff
Jayden McCluskey (Rutherglen)
Matt Tanner (Rutherglen)
James Tanner (Rutherglen)
Anglesea
Josh Jaska (St Mary’s)
Anglesea coach Jordan Keras says the return of some star juniors for the 2023 BFL season “brings our town back together”.
Two-time St Mary’s premiership winner and former Gold Coast Sun Josh Jaska leads a crop of recruits for the Roos ahead of next season.
Joining him are fellow former Anglesea players Harrison Veale, Jack Rice and Jack Walters, as well as Will Batson (St Mary’s), Samuel Torpy (St Mary’s), Fergus Huntington (Collegians), Jonah Bowels (Warrnambool), James Carr (University Blues) and Lewis Campbell (South Barwon).
Harrison Veale (Returning)
Jack Rice (Returning)
Sam Torpy (St Mary’s)
Fergus Huntington (Collegians)
Jonah Bowels (Warrnambool)
Lewis Campbell (South Barwon)
James Carr (University Blues)
Will Batson (St Mary’s)
Jack Walters (St Mary’s)
Newcomb
No signings confirmed
Ocean Grove
No signings confirmed
Portarlington
Jake Alderding (Thomson)
New Portarlington coach Warren Finlayson says it is hard for the club to hide from its past results, but he is hoping he can change the script for the Demons.
The Demons have already announced new signings in Jake Alderding, Matt Fromholtz and Zac Kos for 2023, and the club is expected to secure a more players in the near future.
Finlayson said there were challenges in recruiting players to Portarlington.
Zac Kos (Leopold)
Matt Fromholtz (Leopold)
Matt Lawrence (Queenscliff)
Luke Lawrence (Queenscliff)
Dylan O’Brien (Leopold)
GDFL
Bannockburn
Reece Conca (Fremantle)
Inverleigh
James Hussey (South Warrnambool)
Inverleigh coach Adam Donohue has revealed how he convinced prized new recruit James Hussey to make the move to the Hawks ahead of 2023.
Hussey played at Newcomb before he started plying his trade as an inside midfielder for South Warrnambool, winning the league best-and-fairest, the Maskell Medal, in 2017.
Donohue said Hussey would add serious talent to an already-strong list, but the midfielder making the move for team success over individual accolades.
Josh Pethybridge (Golden Square)
Mitch Bartlett (Bannockburn)
Peter Plummer (Returning)
Inverleigh coach Adam Donohue says he is eager to continue adding to the Hawks’ list after suffering a devastating grand final loss in 2022.
The Hawks fell short of premiership glory against Bannockburn, but with almost every player committed to returning next season, Donohue expects his side to challenge again.
He said his attitude around recruiting players might have been different if Inverleigh had won the flag.
Inverleigh has announced a raft of signings, with forward Mitch Bartlett (Bannockburn), Lewis Delorenzo (Colac), Brayden Warren (Queenscliff) and Josh Pethybridge (Golden Square) joining the club, while Peter Plummer and Mitch Elford will return to the Hawks’ senior side in 2023.
Lewis Delorenzo (Colac)
East Geelong
Jack Beardsell (Modewarre)
Bell Post Hill
Renn Lovitt (Great Western)
RENN Lovitt has returned to Bell Post Hill, but coach Justin Tarr has tempered expectations on the star big man as the club builds towards a serious premiership tilt.
Lovitt won a fourth-straight flag with Bell Post Hill in 2017 and will fill a void in the ruck department, but Tarr remained cautious about his recruit’s ability to dominate the GDFL like he has in the past.
Mink Govus (North Geelong)
Boe Collins (North Cairns)
A FEW phone calls from Panthers veteran Nick Costello was enough to convince his brothers to join the club for the 2023 season.
Bell Post Hill announced that Adam and Scott Costello were signing on to play next season, joining Nick at the club.
The brothers were not the only signing in a busy period for the club, confirming the return of Boe Collins.
Collins spent 2022 playing for North Cairns, playing 15 games and earning North Queensland representation.
Scott Costello (Returning)
Adam Costello (Bell Park)
Nick Flaccavento (Corio)
Geelong West
Scott Frangos (Geelong West GFL)
Geelong West GDFL co-coach Matthew Ianelli says the Giants are hoping to “change the narrative on the club” as they look to build on their top-five finish in 2022.
The confirmation of six recruits are sure to keep the Giants in a competitive position, led by Geelong West GFL pair Scott Frangos and Daniel Craven.
Frangos joins the GDFL Giants as a playing assistant coach after notching up his 200th game for the GFL side this past season.
Portarlington’s Blake Natoli-West has also signed on for 2023, as has Nick Byrne (St Bernards), Dean Ferguson (Epping) and Zac Rowarth (Birregurra).
Daniel Craven (Geelong West GFL)
Blake Natoli-West (Portarlington)
Nick Byrne (St Bernards)
Dean Ferguson (Epping)
Zac Rowarth (Birregurra)
Thomson
Nathan Bisset (Belmont)
Alex Jolley (Belmont)
Former Belmont coach Nathan Bisset said the chance to learn from Thomson coach Paul Lynch was a key reason he joined the Tigers as a playing assistant coach for 2023.
Bisset departed Belmont at the end of this GDFL season once his contract had ended and the job was advertised.
He said while he had been exploring other options, the chance to develop under premiership-winning coach Lynch was a “great opportunity” and he has managed to take an experienced Lion in Alex Jolley with him.
Darcy Troop (Newtown & Chilwell)
THOMSON has landed “target No. 1”, with coach Paul Lynch believing the signature of key forward Darcy Troop will help his side close the gap.
Former Newtown & Chilwell spearhead Troop has put pen to paper with the Tigers, adding star power to Lynch’s forward line.
“It’s exactly what we were looking for … that pack-marking forward. All our forwards are hit-up forwards and we don’t have that bash-and-crash forward, so he gives us a player that can compete in the air.”
Winchelsea
Finlay Parish (Grovedale)
Winchelsea president Daniel Greskie says it has been a goal of the off-season to “bring home” junior Blues in an effort to play finals for the first time since 2014.
The Blues have bolstered their list with some key signings already, with Fin Parish (Grovedale), Heath Walsh (returning), Riley Berg (Barwon Heads) all returning to the club, while Brenton Rees (Newcomb), Jordan Gould (Grovedale) and Jordan Huff (Echuca) have also signed on.
Greskie said it was a priority to add experienced players to a young core of Blues that had already signed on for 2023.
Heath Walsh (Returning)
Riley Berg (Barwon Heads)
Jordan Gould (Grovedale)
Brenton Rees (St Joseph’s)
Jordan Huff (Echuca)
Belmont
Brent Vermeulen (St Albans)
Andy Walsgott (Barwon Heads)
Mat Graham (St Albans)
Harry Thompson (London)
NEW Belmont co-coach Andy Walsgott says the Lions are looking to recruit this off-season but he is “realistic” about the need to compete well in 2023 to attract players in 2024.
Walsgott and co-coach Brent Vermeulen have taken over the role from Nathan Bisset, who is now an assistant coach at GDFL rival Thomson after an eighth-place finish last season.
The pair have already lured Harry Thompson to the club, who most recently played in London following a stint with Torquay in the BFL.
North Geelong
No signings confirmed
Werribee Centrals
Jarryd Scotland (Sunshine)
Harley Kilby (Werribee Districts)
Corio
Jacob Kleidon (Bell Park)
Mitch Hocking (Newbridge)
Logan Dixon (Newbridge)
Caleb Hucklebridge (Returning)
Yo Tha Shwe (Returning)
Tim Van Zyl (Returning)
Beau Burney (Bell Post Hill)
Josh Jelenic (Bell Park)
Matthew Jelenic (Bell Park)
Jack Hall (Bell Park)
Corio co-coach Darren Bennett says the club has addressed its most significant holes in the off-season as the Devils look to climb back up the ladder.
After finishing second last in 2022 with just one win in the GDFL season, the Devils have been one of the most active club across all three Geelong competitions, signing 10 players to the squad.
Bennett said the recruiting team had “ticked off” a number of deficiencies from 2022.
“One thing we really did need to get stronger in was our depth,” he said.
“Last year we had no one coming through that was putting pressure on the guys for their spots, so we were just rolling out the same guys most weeks.
Anakie
No signings confirmed
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