Warrack Eagles sign John Jorgensen and Connor McFadyen
A country footy club who has struggled in recent seasons has landed two state league guns as part of a recruiting haul. Go inside their plans to rise up the ladder.
A chance meeting on a construction site in Adelaide, which led to the signing of one of the premier players in the SANFL, could be the catalyst for the Warrack Eagles to end an eight year Wimmera league finals drought.
The Eagles have been busy this off-season, signing SANFL leading goalkicker Connor McFadyen who helped Sturt to win the 2025 premiership.
McFadyen kicked 34 goals to be inside the top-five goalkickers in the league.
He’ll be joined by a fellow state league player, John Jorgensen, who moves from VFL side the Northern Bullants.
The two recruits join a host of South Australians who have also signed.
Hills Football League and Mount Barker duo Samuel Callins and Billy Stokes have been recruited with Nick Lehman joining from Willaston in the Barossa Light League.
Warrack president Paul Rowe said the signing of McFadyen came about through an Eagles player, based in Adelaide, who caught up with him while at work.
“One of our Adelaide boys, one of the plumbers, they just happened to be on a job site together,” he revealed.
“They started talking footy and the simple question came do you mind if our guys chat to you.
“We’ve got this good culture and they enjoy coming here so he sold him (McFadyen) the idea of possibly coming across.
“One thing led to another and now we’re excited to have him across here.”
The Eagles said McFadyen would play up forward with Jorgensen, who will play full time at Warrack.
But Eagles coach Kyle George also said the team might play him down backline after being named in the 2024 SANFL team of the year as a key defender.
He added the two state-league players will boost the team on and off the field.
“We’ve been tracking (and trying to sign) guys like Connor who are high end footballers with a lot of success,” George said.
“We need them to help our locals drive, just a little bit, to know what winning is like.”
George said the recruits add to what the club has been trying to do for the past few years.
The focus has been on attracting homegrown talent, between ages 19 and 24, to help the club build.
And it’s worked with the team going from one win to three wins from 2024 to 2025.
“We recognised we needed to get some local players who weren’t living in the area to come back to us,” George said.
“Over the past 18 months we’ve put a massive emphasis on our local guys. Two seasons ago we were being belted by 80-90 points a week.
“Our average losing margin this season was 22 points. We’re so close.”
Rowe and George said finals was the goal in 2026 as the club strives some success after a few years at the bottom.
“It does come to a point where you need on field success,” Rowe said.
“We’ve got seven or eight blokes (juniors) who have been thrust into senior footy. They’ve got 40 to 50 games under their belt now.
“And we just need to start winning on field to keep the boys interested. We were lucky enough to get some good recruits (last year) who can play footy and our locals have grown.
“Hopefully by sprinkling this next couple of high end talent around them on the field they will grow again.”
The Eagles could also be boosted by the return of ex-AFL player Kyle Cheney.
Cheney, who played for Adelaide, Melbourne and Hawthorn, has been back home playing for the past four seasons but will spend the first part of next year out with a back injury and work commitments.
There is no guarantee he will play again but if he does, his club will be the Eagles.
“The door is open for him to return,” Rowe said.
“We’ll see how it pans out.”
Originally published as Warrack Eagles sign John Jorgensen and Connor McFadyen
