Warrnambool, Nullawil and Gisborne: Five country footy teams to watch in 2024
Nullawil has found a player with AFL and VFL experience to plug an important gap on its list. See the latest recruit.
Country footy clubs are back on the training track ahead of the 2024 season that is due to start in some leagues in late March.
There has been no shortage of player movement since premierships were decided last September, with Nullawil the latest to announce a new recruit.
Some have fared better than others and The Weekly Times has nominated five clubs to watch this year.
NULLAWIL
Nullawil has plugged an important gap on its list with tall defender Peter Faulks joining the club with an impressive resume that has included time with AFL and VFL clubs.
The 192cm backman spent part of his early career at Sydney and Fremantle including three senior matches with the Dockers between 2011 and 2013.
He then played 100 matches in the VFL including a flag with Williamstown in 2015.
Faulks comes to Nullawil from metro club Aberfeldie.
The North Central league newcomer sorely missed the absence of former coach Brett Barker when he went down with a season-ending knee injury early last year.
“We just need a bit of height and strength in our defence,” Nullawil football manager Wade Humphreys said.
“Our coach last year, Brett Barker, went down with a knee (injury) and we were left without a big key back.
“We lost the grand final by a couple of kicks and if we had Brett it might have been a different story.
“You need big key backs to play on big key forwards.”
The North Central league’s leading goalkicker last year, Donald’s Sam Dunstan, kicked four goals in three encounters with Nullawil and Sea Lake-Nandaly’s star forward Josh Jenkins averaged more than six goals a game in his eight appearances in 2023 for the eventual premiers.
Jenkins kicked 4.6 in Sea Lake-Nandaly’s 14-point win over Nullawil in the grand final.
Nullawil has strongly signalled its intention to remain near the top with the signing of triple Strathfieldsaye premiership coach in the Bendigo league Daryl Wilson, with the appointment triggering a rush of player signings.
The pick of them is three-time Central Murray league best and fairest and Swan Hill star Matthew Wade, who headed north after being a great player in West Gippsland.
Also jumping on board are Rylee Smith, who returns after playing in two flags with Kerang, and Bendigo league recruits Hunter Lawrence and Nick Keogh.
WARRNAMBOOL
Warrnambool’s star signing Ben Cunnington will be unveiled in a stand-alone Friday night fixture at the recently redeveloped Reid Oval against Koroit.
The Hampden league confirmed Warrnambool and Koroit will meet underlights on Friday, April 5 with remaining fixtures to be played the next day.
“It will be the first game of the opening round and it’s a great chance for people to come and have a look at some of the big star recruits coming into our league, particularly Ben Cunnington,” Hampden league president Shane Threlfall said.
“It’s a great initiative from both Warrnambool and Koroit to move that game from the traditional Saturday to the Friday.”
Senior football and open netball only will be played on the Friday night with the remaining grades to play the next day.
Warrnambool finished eighth in the Hampden league last season under favourite son and first-year coach Dan O’Keefe.
The Blues won seven games in an ideal launching pad for further progress in 2024.
Impetus for genuine improvement came when Warrnambool beat a host of rival clubs to the signature of two-time North Melbourne best and fairest Cunnington upon his retirement at the highest level.
Cunnington’s career started at Cobden, but the Blues secured the big recruiting prize to add to other signings including former junior Austin Steere and skilful Russells Creek midfielder Taylem Wason.
In a further boost, Warrnambool has wooed back Jordan Walters after six seasons playing for Newtown & Chilwell in the Geelong league.
He played 12 senior matches in 2017 when still eligible for under-18.5s.
His dad, Josh, won a Maskell Medal playing for Warrnambool in 2009.
Warrnambool’s under-18.5s premiership team is also expected to provide some additional depth.
GISBORNE
The 2022 flag winners crashed from premiers to missing finals last year in a result that didn’t sit well with a club accustomed to success.
Rectifying the situation began when 2022 premiership coach Brad Fox returned to the helm for the final three games.
The immediate task was shoring up its list from last season with Gisborne to be bolstered by the full-time returns of a star duo, goalkicker Pat McKenna and onballer Brad Bernacki.
McKenna went down with a serious mid-season injury and Bernacki only played the second half of last year with the Bulldogs after starting out with Essendon’s VFL team.
Gisborne has added midfielder-forward Jackson Cardillo from Rupertswood.
Spots in the Bendigo league’s top five are up for grabs with a big list of departures from the top teams in 2023 including premier Golden Square and runner-up Sandhurst.
SHEPPARTON
Shepparton finished two matches out of the Goulburn Valley league top six last year, but in the run home it claimed the scalps of runner-up Kyabram and another finalist Seymour.
Getting the band back together from the 2018 premiership team has been a big focus for co-coaches Ted Lindon and Xavier Stevenson.
The recruiting results speak for themselves with goalkicker Luke Smith and Golden Square 2023 premiership duo Joel Brett and Liam Duguid making a return.
Also making his way back to the Bears is veteran ruckman Ash Holland, who is coming off a dominant stint with Picola District league premier of the past two seasons, Waaia.
Echuca remains the obvious GV benchmark, but finals spots are on offer.
COBRAM
Cobram went into the 2022 Murray league grand final warm favourites before losing in heartbreaking fashion to Mulwala.
After going so close to ending a flag drought dating back to 1998, Cobram crashed out of finals last year as Mulwala claimed back-to-back flags.
But a return to September is on the cards with the biggest signing being former Barooga coach and Mooroopna best and fairest, Jackson Trengove.
Cobram has also retained Sam and Harry Beasley with Fergus Pinnuck another GV league recruit from Shepparton United.
Cobram has also regained four-time best and fairest Ty Baden, who will co-coach alongside Tim Garlick.
Baden also won Shepparton’s best and fairest in his one season with the GV club last year.
Izac Artavilla is heading back to Cobram after also having one season with Shepparton.
Other recruits include Steve Stallion, who played for Cobram before heading to Rumbalara, Hunter Verhoeven from rival club Numurkah and Alec Ritchie from VAFA club Uni Blues.
Also eyeing off a finals berth is Deniliquin, which finished two spots below Cobram, with its biggest addition being homegrown star Sam Lloyd with his teammate at Bundoora for past two years, ruckman Hamish Sheapherd.
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