Souths Juniors: Signings tracker, pre-season latest ahead of the 2025 season

After making the second week of the finals, South Eastern has taken plenty of lessons as they look to youth to propel their charge in 2025, as well as the influence of a key coaching figure.

Fraser Graham is part of South Eastern’s leadership group. Picture: Adam Wrightson Photography

The Alexandria Rovers come into the 2025 Souths Juniors season as the defending premiers, but there are a host of teams on their tail.

With some returning faces and personnel changes, we take a look at every club before the start of the new season, continuing with the South Eastern Seagulls.

SOUTH EASTERN SEAGULLS

Major signings: Blaise Barnes (rugby union)

Major departures: Lewis Radley (retirement), George Burgess (Noosa Pirates)

There were plenty of lessons to be learned from last season that South Eastern are taking on board this time around.

The introduction of capped interchanges is one area they will improve big time with a young, mobile pack set to lead from the front.

Mixing that with the experience of their two leaders in Dean Richards and Fraser Graham has the Seagulls optimistic about the year ahead.

“We had to change the way we do things and suit our game to the interchange rules,” manager Greg Scott said.

“Last year was unfortunate. We had beaten the Dolphins with our previous two outings, but ran out of troops in the backline. We led at one point then found ourselves down by 10 at the break and that killed us.

“It comes down to depth. You need enough players to cover both A and A-Reserve grades.

“We’ll have four or five backing up from our starting A-grade side last year.

Dean Richards. Picture: Adam Wrightson Photography

“Both Dean and Fraser are Brad O’Hare Medal (club best and fairest) winners and everyone looks up to them.”

John Sutton will again be at the helm of the club after getting a taste of the action last year as mentor, following on from a stint coaching South Sydney’s SG Ball team in 2023.

He’s been joined by Tyrone McCarthy who will have a key role with a number of the senior teams, including a newly formed U21s side.

McCarthy boasts a wealth of experience at the Super League level and previously held a role within South Sydney’s pathways program.

In terms of playing personnel, a number of players are set to return, along with the new addition of Blaise Barnes.

Barnes went viral during his schoolboy rugby days and was touted as the next Roger Tuivasa-Sheck or Kalyn Ponga on the back of his highlight package.

After playing last year with Eastwood in the Shute Shield, he links up with brother Rylan at Malabar.

“Blaise has been playing first grade rugby union in Sydney,” Scott said.

“He’s a Joeys boy who was with Parramatta for a bit.”

Daniel Mougios. Picture: Adam Wrightson Photography

COOGEE-RANDWICK WOMBATS

Major signings: Harrison Marsh (Coogee Dolphins)

Major departures: Evan Manning (Young Cherrypickers), Jason Clark (retired)

They were moments away from the fairytale return to A-grade last season, before a late lead and extra-time heartbreak cruelled that dream before their eyes.

Instead of dwelling, the Wombats are using it as motivation to write those wrongs and take the next step in 2025.

“We’re coming together pretty well and have pretty much the same squad as last year,” secretary Geoff Tunks said.

“That’s the fire in the belly for the boys (from last year). To be four or five minutes away from a grand final win, it was very disappointing at the time.

“But when you reflect on it, if you said to us at the start of the year that we would be in a grand final, that would be huge.

“Nobody gave us a chance after not having a team in the comp (in 2023), to then being the first team into the grand final.”

Tavis Felsch returns in 2025. Picture: Adam Wrightson Photography

In terms of personnel changes, the Wombats have been able to keep things relatively steady as they look to replicate their success.

“Clarkey is probably finishing up and Evan Manning are the only two players we’ve lost,” he said.

“We have a few others coming into the system and a good bunch of young players who won the U18s comp last year.

“Harrison Marsh has come across from the Dolphins and his dad Anthony will be assistant coach with Jason McKell.”

The Wombats received a great output from their Rabbitohs-aligned players last season, and Tunks said they were pleased to welcome a key quartet back.

“Bear Williams, Sam Taylor, Tavis Felsch and Sam Grazioni were huge for us and three played in the grand final,” he said.

“We wanted those four to come back. They asked the players if they wanted to and they all said yes. It’s a good sign our club is doing right by them.”

Jade Anderson will line up for La Perouse. Picture Warren Gannon Photography

LA PEROUSE PANTHERS

Major signings: Jade Anderson (Glebe), Aaron Grech (Mascot), Kayde King (Rabbitohs Jersey Flegg), Harrison Rooke (Moves up from U18s)

After missing last year’s A-grade for the first time in a long time, La Perouse is back where it belongs in the top grade.

The last time the Panthers were seen was in 2023 when they were one game away from a preliminary final.

There’s a quiet confidence they can get back to that level upon return, with a strong roster back to represent the community.

“We’re looking exceptional. We have two main sides this year after getting together an A-reserve at the last second last year,” president Anthony Cook said.

“With Aaron Grech as coach and Rob Longbottom as manager we’re in a strong position. We’ve had about 30-40 at training for the last month and it’s going to lift the community up again.

“Rob has experience with Guildford and he has a connection with the players. Aaron has that too, and it’s great to have him back.

“From a president’s point of view I’m very proud of what we’ve got this year.”

The hill at Yarra Oval will again be filled on Saturday and Sunday arvos, much to the delight of Cook who said the return would have a positive impact throughout the whole club.

“This is going to be fantastic for us. The community of La Perouse is stoked to have an A-grade team again and having a competitive side is going to make it so much better for us,” he said.

“The money generated from the canteen filters through to the juniors. We’re looking at a strong U14s as well.”

In terms of the talent they’ve got on board, they’re putting together a strong team with a mix of higher level players and quality juniors.

Jade Anderson will be one of the best players in the competition. He featured with La Perouse in last year’s Koori Knockout after starring for Glebe in the Ron Massey Cup and earning City representative honours in the process.

Grech is a Maltese international who has been a top-tier dummy half in the competition for a long time.

Kayde King and Harrison Rooke are two young guns that have spent time in the Rabbitohs pathways and add plenty to the forward pack.

Originally published as Souths Juniors: Signings tracker, pre-season latest ahead of the 2025 season