Stars head bush for country footy return

Country footy is set to bounce. See the 15 best recruits to watch in this year and the clubs which snapped them up.

Country footy is set to bounce out of the Covid doldrums and clubs have been highly active in recruiting since the end of last season.

The Weekly Times has picked 15 players to watch in country footy leagues this year.

MICHAEL GIBBONS

Yarrawonga

Michael Gibbons.

The former Carlton small forward is set to star in the Ovens and Murray in a midfield role where he starred with VFL club Williamstown before breaking into AFL ranks.

SHAUN ATLEY

Rochester

Shaun Atley

After 234 appearances across 11 seasons for North Melbourne, Atley is returning to his original club where he will get the chance to play alongside brothers, Joe and Jacob.

NATHAN VARDY

North Warrnambool

Nathan Vardy

West Coast premiership player returns to his home state of Victoria as assistant coach of Hampden league flag contender North Warrnambool.

BRETT BEWLEY

Darley

Brett Bewley

Former club junior, Bewley is back with the Ballarat league club after three seasons at Fremantle and is tipped to dominate.

BRETT EDDY

Traralgon

Brett Eddy

Originally from Foster, key forward Eddy is reuniting with two former Vermont premiership teammates, Jake Best and Tom Schneider, at Traralgon.

ANGUS BAKER

Wodonga

After narrowly missing a berth on Essendon’s list 12 months ago, Baker has joined Wodonga from Canberra with high expectations.

JACK LESLIE

Sale

Jack Leslie

The Magpies welcome back the former Gold Coast Suns player full time, after a season with Williamstown and will be a force at either end of the ground.

JACKSON MERRETT, East Point

Jackson Merrett

The brother of Essendon dynamo, Zach, returns to Victoria after two seasons in the WAFL where he won a best and fairest with Peel Thunder.

SAM REID, Echuca

Sam Reid

Fresh from AFL ranks, Reid had hoped to keep his career at the elite level going in 2022 after being cut by GWS before signing with the Goulburn Valley flag contender.

LUKAS WEBB

Wangaratta Rovers

Lukas Webb

Injuries brought a premature end to his AFL career, but the former Western Bulldogs utility is among the big names headed for the O and M after a season playing in Queensland.

JED LAMB

Warragul

Jed Lamb

After stints at three AFL clubs, Lamb returns to Gippsland to play for Warragul after a season playing in the Heathcote District league.

NICK GRAHAM

Warragul

Nick Graham

Like Lamb, the former Carlton draftee is also back in familiar Gippsland surrounds after playing for Darley and Spotswood in recent seasons.

SIMON CURTIS

Myrtleford

The most recent premiership coach in the Ovens and Murray in charge of Lavington has made the bombshell move to rival club Myrtleford.

MARTIN BRENNAN

Grovedale

The Lavington 2019 premiership player is a late pick up for Grovedale with the midfield dynamo set to make his mark when not playing for VFL club Werribee.

BRODIE FILO

Wangaratta Rovers

Won the O and M’s Morris Medal playing for Wodonga Raiders in 2018 and is reunited with a former coach Darryn Cresswell at rival club Wangaratta Rovers after another dominant summer season in Darwin.