NTFL: Wanderers and Thunder star Neil Vea Vea swaps jumper for stint at SANFL club Glenelg

ONE of Territory football’s most recognisable players will be in the black and yellow of SANFL club Glenelg this year

Wanderers player Neil Vea Vea will play for SANFL club Glenelg this season.

ONE of Territory football’s most recognisable players will be in the black and yellow of SANFL club Glenelg this year.

Wanderers and Territory Thunder ruckman-defender Neil Vea Vea will join his teammate Daniel Weetra in the city of churches.

Vea Vea, a premiership player at both clubs in 2014-15 (NTFL and NEAFL), made the decision to move south after opting to stay with Thunder in 2017.

“I had a couple of conversations with them last year and there was a plan to move then,’’ the 23-year-old big man told the NT News.

“But I ended up signing on with Hodgy (Thunder coach Andrew Hodges).

“When it came up again in October I knew the time was right on where I wanted to go.’’

Vea Vea has signed for the 2018 season before deciding on a longer term deal.

“It’s all new territory for me,’’ he said.

“I’ve only ever played for two clubs, Wanderers and Thunder, so there’s a lot of new things in front of me. Pulling on a Thunder jumper again is not out of the question, despite the SANFL move.

“It’s (Thunder) definitely not over, but when an opportunity like this comes up twice it’s probably silly to knock it back again,’’ he said.

“This time I’m taking my game to play in a competition I reckon will suit me with nice small grounds and in and under footy.’’

Vea Vea describes himself as a “defender who can probably go in the ruck’’, though he said the all-rounder tag where he can go forward also applied to him.

“But I’ve got more of a defensive mindset than attacking, so it’s probably my spot,’’ he said.

Vea Vea has marked next week’s Australia Day clash with Waratah as his farewell to Top End football, with his employment the key to any official move.

“If everything goes to plan with my job I should be down there in the next couple of weeks,’’ he said.

“Transferring to another department in Adelaide was always the most difficult part.’’