Geelong West star Tanner Lovell considering return to Portland Tigers
Geelong West has already lost one player to his home club. And one of the competition’s best is a chance to join him.
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Geelong West remains hopeful it can hold onto Geelong VFL player Tanner Lovell despite him weighing up a move back to his home club.
Lovell, runner-up in this year’s Mathieson Medal with 17 votes in just 14 games, has spoken with Portland in the Hampden league about a potential return.
The dominant ball-winner hails from Heywood, a 25 minute drive from Portland and played at the Tigers from 2018-20 before moving to Geelong to study teaching.
Lovell will be undertaking a nine-week teaching placement in Portland next year, meaning even if he continues with the Giants he may be unavailable for a period of next season.
He is currently overseas but Geelong West will discuss his options when he returns in a fortnight.
The loss of Lovell would be a major blow for Geelong West given former Giant Jamieson Ballantyne, also a Geelong VFL teammate of Lovell, has already signed with Portland for 2025.
Lovell works in education support in Geelong along with his studies and has played alongside his brother, Kade, at Geelong West.
He has taken the GFNL by storm over the past two seasons, averaging the third most Premier Data ranking points this season (140.3) and ranking fourth for disposals, fifth for clearances and equal fifth for inside 50s.
The ball magnet managed seven VFL appearances this year, adding to his three last season.
At the GFNL best and fairest night last week, Lovell said he was still aiming to get onto an AFL list and to play consistent VFL footy.
“I think anyone that is playing VFL standard ideally wants to be on an AFL list, but how realistic that is who knows,” Lovell told this publication.
“Playing VFL each week would be the goal from now, it is tough at AFL affiliated (club like Geelong). Just trying to play as many games as I can and see where it goes from there.
“Greg Mellor, Rick Wilde, Darren Forssman, all the ones at Geelong West, they are the ones that gave me the opportunity that I might not have gotten at a GFL club and help me get noticed for VFL.”
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Originally published as Geelong West star Tanner Lovell considering return to Portland Tigers
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