Gippsland, Ovens and Murray: Bairnsdale and Lavington roll in recruits

Two country footy clubs have seized a loophole in player clearance rules before the June 30 deadline.

Bairnsdale has seized on a loophole within the player movement rules to bring in two stars for one-off appearances helping the club to a rare victory this season on Saturday.

Shane McDonald and Sam Gilbert are regular players for Bonbeach in the Mornington Peninsula Nepean league.

But with no games in the MPN league due to the Queen’s Birthday weekend bye, the pair headed for Bairnsdale, which had only won one Gippsland league game before Saturday.

Players can swap clubs up until a June 30 clearance deadline.

Sam Gilbert playing for St Kilda in 2018. Picture: AAP Image/Hamish Blair

Lavington pulled the same move on Saturday with two former players, Martin Brennan and Macca Hallows back at the club where they played in an Ovens and Murray league premiership together in 2019.

Brennan and Hallows have been mainly playing for Grovedale and Glenroy respectively this season.

First year Bairnsdale coach Logan Austin, who previously played with Gilbert at St Kilda, said the club had been working on the one-off injection of talent for months.

Logan Austin played with Sam Gilbert at St Kilda in 2018.

“We were the only game on this weekend and wanted to make it a really big day for the footy club,” Austin said.

“We earmarked this day at the start of the year to get some A graders into the side, but also give something back to the community and showcase some good footy.”

McDonald, a two-time MPN league best and fairest winner, was best-on-ground with 33 possessions and two goals against Warragul.

What do you think of this goal assist from @BairnsdaleFNC's Brayden McCarrey?

📽: @GippyLeague / @CluchTV
🎧: @GippslandLivepic.twitter.com/igoXkZyIr4

— Gippsland Footy (@GippslandFooty) June 11, 2022

“He’s 36 or 37, but so fit,” Austin said.

“He’s exactly what we don’t have, a midfielder who runs all day, gets his 30 (possessions) and kicks a couple of goals.

“The fact they came down and played as hard as they would for Bonbeach says a lot about them.”

Martin Brennan playing for Grovedale this season.

Lavington beat Myrtleford for the second time this season to keep its faint finals hope alive.

President Mark Sanson said Brennan and Hallows were always welcome back at the club.

“We want to continue to involve those guys because they are the future of our club and one day hopefully we will have them back permanently,” he said.

Grovedale played at the weekend and lost to Colac without Brennan, who is also on VFL club Werribee’s list.

Austin played for Rochester in the Goulburn Valley league last year before being appointed coach of Bairnsdale.

He has settled into a role up forward in recent weeks following the return from injury of regular key defenders Simon Deery and Andrew Nelson.

“Not only did we get the two recruits in, but we had our strongest team for the year in as well,” he said.

Austin has signed to coach Bairnsdale again next year.