Geelong: New Colac coach Seb Ross returns to country footy
Recruiting has dominated country footy headlines all summer. See the top 25 players heading bush this season.
Recruiting is tough business and some country footy clubs have fared better than others since the end of last season.
The Weekly Times has ranked the Top 25 recruits who will make their mark at new homes in 2025.
They include players fresh off AFL lists and those who have dominated at VFL level.
See who has made the cut.
1 SEB ROSS St Kilda to Colac
A veteran of 211 matches for St Kilda and two-time winner of the Saints’ best and fairest, Ross was appointed coach of Colac late last year.
No stranger to country footy as he began his career with Horhsam Demons.
Impressed in recent hitout against Hampden league power club South Warrnambool.
2 GARY ROHAN Geelong to Port Fairy
Geelong 2022 premiership forward is the latest big name signing headed for the Hampden league.
Started his career at Cobden, but joins Port Fairy, which will be looking to build on its five wins in 2024 and push for finals.
Will slot into a forward line already consisting of Jason Rowan, who has kicked more than 1000 career goals.
3 NICK HIND Essendon to Darley
Former Essendon and St Kilda speedster has joined Darley, reuniting with coach Dan Jordan.
Hind played under Jordan at Ballarat league rival East Point 12 years ago before forcing his way into AFL ranks.
4 JOSH CORBETT Fremantle to South Barwon
After playing 41 matches and kicking 36 goals at two AFL clubs, Corbett returns to country footy with the Geelong runner-up of the last two seasons.
Originally from North Warrnambool, Corbett was a star in the VFL before getting his chance at the elite level.
5 BEN CROCKER Collingwood VFL to Moe
Played 26 matches for Collingwood before spending the past four seasons in the VFL.
Won Carlton VFL best and fairest in 2021 and will be a major asset for the club desperate to end a premiership drought stretching back to 1967.
6 NATHAN COOPER Werribee to Wangaratta Rovers
The VFL Team-of-the-Year fullback and premiership player with Werribee last year will play full-time for the O&M reigning premiers.
Could play either end of the ground for Rovers, but with an ankle injury playing in Darwin over summer to key defender Tom Boyd, it means Cooper will start the season down back.
7 JOSH EYRE Collingwood VFL to Castlemaine
Big signing for the club which is aiming to push into the Bendigo league finals equation this season.
Originally drafted by Essendon, Eyre was restricted to eight matches for Collingwood’s VFL team last year due to a hamstring injury.
Brother Ryan joined Castlemaine last year.
8 RYAN GARTHWAITE Montrose to Albury
The former Richmond key backman returns to the O&M scene where he played at senior level before being drafted.
Albury has been on the hunt for quality talls as it attempts to become a flag contender again.
Garthwaite will co-coach Albury with Max Lynch, whose AFL career was cut short by repeated concussions.
9 MATT TABERNER Fremantle to Myrtleford
Late signing by the Saints, who are poised to re-enter the Ovens & Murray league finals fight.
Taberner started his career in the Ovens Valley before kicking 173 goals from 125 matches for the Fremantle Dockers.
Will remain based in Western Australia, but will play enough games to qualify for finals.
10 TOM CLUREY Port Adelaide to Katamatite
The former AFL defender heads back to his original club in the Picola District league fresh off an AFL list.
Clurey, 30, played 130 matches for Port and had no shortage of options from nearby O&M and Goulburn Valley clubs before signing with the club which hasn’t won a flag for more than two decades.
Rankings 11 to 25
11 Braydon Preuss, GWS to Yarragon
12 Callum Brown, Box Hill VFL to Mansfield
13 Tom Toma, Golden Square-Essendon VFL to Cohuna Kangas
14 Myles Poholke, Sorrento to Moe
15 Joel Budarick, Brisbane VFL to Eaglehawk
16 Roarke Smith, Port Melbourne VFL to Balranald
17 Ben Rigoni, Coburg VFL to North Albury
18 Jydon Neagle, Balranald to South Mildura
19 Ricky Monti, Golden Square-Essendon VFL to Cohuna Kangas
20 Coby Perry, Maryborough to Castlemaine
21 Sam Heavyside, Kerang to Strathfieldsaye
22 Tanner Lovell, Geelong West Giants to Portland
23 Joey Ugle, South Cairns to Corowa-Rutherglen
24 Kobe Lloyd, Balranald to Calder United
25 Brandyn Grenfell, Nyah Nyah West United to Colbinabbin
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