Shane O’Shea, The Buloke Times
North-Central football, hockey and netball’s 2025 season heralds the dawn of a new era of competition, with the formation of the Calder United Lions condensing the league into an eight-team competition.
As we say farewell to Nullawil and Wycheproof-Narraport, two clubs and communities with very proud sporting histories and records of achievement, and welcome their new combined entity, it promises to bring renewed excitement and challenges, for the Lions in particular, and the league and its seven other clubs in general.
Coaching appointments
There have been minimal changes to the senior coaching personnel within North-Central ahead of the new season.
Darryl Wilson, last season’s coach of Nullawil, has taken the reins with joint coach Jordan Humphreys at Calder United.
New appointments for the coming season include Ash Connick (Birchip-Watchem), and Daniel Pearce (Donald).
Five clubs have reappointed their senior coaches, Dale Cameron (Boort), Mitch Collins (Charlton), Scott Driscoll (St. Arnaud), Billy McInnes and Bryce Delmenico (Sea Lake-Nandaly) and Tom Metherell (Wedderburn).
Looking at the change in playing personnel within the local competition, there has been considerable player movement, both into and out of the league’s clubs.
Sea Lake-Nandaly
Sea Lake-Nandaly enters the new season as the defending champion and the team to beat, and can expect probing challenges on many fronts from a number of clubs who have recruited well to build on previous seasons’ achievements.
Headlining Sea Lake-Nandaly’s list of recruits is Oscar Brownless, son of retired Geelong champion, Billy Brownless, who joins the Tigers from Geelong Amateurs.
Jarvis Keogh (Swan Hill), Bryce Basken (Lake Boga) and Cooper Roberts (Mildura) are among the “ins”, while dynamic small forward, Will Simpson, appointed assistant coach of Swan Hill, heads the “outs”.
Birchip-Watchem
Last season’s grand finalist, Birchip-Watchem, has added talented defenders Rhona Conboy, Ben Lakin and Pat Lakin (Horsham), George Addis (Mt Barker), Ben Edelsten (Minyip-Murtoa), and welcomes back Riley Hogan (Maroochydore, Qld), Jacob Christie (Rupanyup) and Bill Lee (Uni Blues).
Pat Veszpremi (Williams-town CYMS), Pat Hogan (Geelong West) and Koby Leith (Minyip-Murtoa) are looking for new challenges.
Donald
Donald, which reached the first semi-final last season, has experienced a significant loss of playing personnel, which includes established home-grown talents, Josh Potter (Tyntynder), Hayden Geddes (South Bendigo), Logan Geddes (Marybinong Park), Cooper Anderson (Minyip-Murtoa) and Noah Berry (Geelong Amateurs).
The Royal Blues have also lost 2024 Feeny Medallist Andrew Browne (Tyabb), dynamic defender Ryley Barrack (Daylesford), Blake Grant (Torquay), Tom Heuston (Tyabb), Ryan Hards (Imperials), Jamie Papalia (Keilor), Jesse Wallen and Todd Stevenson (North Heidleberg).
Signings include Glenn Meulendyks (Tyrendarra), Callum Vandendriest (Tweed Heads), Charlie Campbell (Horsham Saints), Jorden Lynch (Albanvale), Luke Caruso (McLaren, S.A.) and Jye Johnson (Rupanyup).
Charlton
Charlton has gained the services of Ben Xiriha (Kyneton), Liam O’Keefe (Kangaroo Flat), Declan Ryan (Wilston Grange), Josh Harris (White Hills), Aaron Schofield (White Hills), Ashton Wood (Murrabit), John Leathen and Luke Dunne (Maryborough).
Departures include talented teenager Nick Thompson (Eaglehawk), Joe Tormey (Rupanyup), Jesse Taylor (Kilmore) and Harrison Taylor (Lorne).
Boort
Boort has signed several players with family surnames synonymous with the Magpies over the generations, including Jed Perryman (Wandella), Flynn O’Rourke (Pascoe Vale). Connections also run to former players, including Tyson and Kayne Rutley (Keilor), while Carlos Egan (Strathmore) and Peter Barbopoulos (East Keilor) will provide an injection of new talent.
Departures: Kobie Streader (Mallee Eagles), Nick Clydesdale (Strathfieldsaye), Jarred Starr (Bears Lagoon-Serpentine), Levi Moss (Pyramid Hill), Nat McLaren (Maldon).
St. Arnaud
St. Arnaud has added a wealth of talent to its existing list, including Jay Kirwood (St. Joseph’s and a century goal kicker with Jeparit-Rainbow), Oliver Goode (Natte Bealiba), Will Thomas (Maiden Gully), Baden Remmos (Winchelsea), Sean Holroyd (Queenscliff), Ashley Livingston (Jeparit-Rainbow) midfielder/key position player Darby Schilder (Melton South), Tom Moore (Geelong West Giants), Max Hungerford (Geelong Amateurs) amd Keegan Cuolahan (Ocean Grove) will also don the Saints’ guernsey this season.
Departures: Ryan Lempa (East Geelong), Tyson Funston (South Barwon), Kenna Larusso (Navarre).
Wedderburn
In: Jarrod Postle (Clunes), Dane Keuken (Strathfieldsaye), Mark Robinson (West Brunswick), Mitch Jensen (Diggers Rest), Zach Pallpratt (Sandhurst), Jake Pallpratt (White Hills), Aaron Smith (Currie), Ben Bacon (White Hills), Jye Mortlock (Natte-Bealliba).
Outs: Tom Campbell (Sandhurst), Jordan Hargreaves North Bendigo), Jacob Picolli (North Bendigo), Jesse Douglas (Officer).
Calder United Lions
In addition to signing players from the respective Nullawil and Wycheproof-Narraport lists, the new look Lions have added Koby Lloyd (Balranald), Ollie Daykin (Redan), Tom Cotton (Lake Boga), Sam Hogan (Mt. Pleasant), Oscar Madden (Eaglehawk), Darcy Munro (Old Carey Grammarians).
Players not joining the new team include the following:
From Nullawil: Dean Smith (Colbinabbin), Kyle Doran (Tyntynder), Matt Quigley (Gisborne), Andrew Casey (Bell Post Hill), Matthew Hogan (Bell Post Hill), Ben Brennan (Gisborne).
From Wycheproof-Narraport: Josh Grabowski (Reservoir), Gedd Hommelhoff (Sebastopol), Nash Kerr (Elmore), Mayson Murgov (Albion), Will Allan (Warracknabeal Eagles), Kristian McNicol (Rochester), Adam Thompson (Murrabit), Will Rodda (Calivil).
History in the making
When the Calder United Lions run out on to Donald’s Goff Letts Oval tomorrow, to take on the home town Royal Blues in round 1, each of the 21 players selected will be creating a unique slice of football history, as the first to represent the new club at senior level.
With players of the calibre of ruckman Dean Putt, midfielders Daniel Watts, Steven Kennedy, David Isbister, Matt Wade, Rylee Smith and Zach Caccaviello, potential forwards Mitch Farmer, Jack Excell and Cody Green, and a defence built around Jordan Humphreys, Boe Bish, Spencer Allan and Josh Walsh, it’s almost impossible to go past the Lions winning their opening game.
Donald will provide honest opposition, led by new coach and spirited competitor, Daniel Pearce, supported by one of North-Central’s best, Ross Young, alongside Dyson Bell-Warren, Ryan Bath, Harry Forrest and recruits including Glenn Meulendykes, Callum Vandendries, Jordan Lynch and Charlie Campbell, but on paper the sheer weight of experience and talent favours the visitors.
Premiership pennant unfurling
Sea Lake-Nandaly will have the opportunity to unfurl its 2024 premiership pennant prior to the start of tomorrow’s game against the visiting Wedderburn.
It’s a new season of challenges for the Tigers, defending champions for the second successive season, who also have the opportunity to aim for their third successive North-Central crown.
Wedderburn is one of the many teams keen to test their mettle, and after a productive off-season recruiting campaign, have added significantly to the list available to coach Tom Metherall.
But the Redbacks had to cast the net far and wide in order to cover the loss of two pillars of the team in recent years, goal kicking centre half-forward Tom Campbell, and 2023 Feeny Medallist ruckman, Jordan Hargreaves.
Among those joining the club are big defender, Ben Bacon, Pallpratt brothers Zach and Jake, ruckman/forward Mark Robinson, Mitch Jensen and the returning Jarrod Postle.
Multiple premiership player Will Simpson is one of Sea Lake-Nandaly’s biggest losses. But this should be offset by new faces on the list, including Oscar Brownless, Jarvis Keogh, Bryce Basken, and returning the Cooper Roberts.
Combine this influx with the potential availability of premiership players Austin Mertz and John Summerhayes back from long-term injuries, further strengthens the Tigers’ prospects this season.
At home, Sea Lake-Nandaly is always hard to beat, and Sea Lake-Nandaly should launch its new season’s campaign and a quest for three successive premierships with a win over the Redbacks.
Opportunity knocks
Host club St. Arnaud and the visiting Boort both have something to prove this season, and their clash at Lord Nelson Park provides the perfect opportunity to launch their quests to climb much higher up the league’s pecking order than their recent finishing positions.
To celebrate the new season, the contest between the Saints and Magpies will take place under lights, in a twilight fixture that gets under way with junior sport starting at 12 noon, and culminates with the senior football kicking off at 6.40.
St. Arnaud has been very active leading up to coach Scott Driscoll’s second season at the helm, signing a bevy of new talent that includes Josh Caddy, Baden Remmos, Sean Holroyd, Ash Livingston, Darby Schilder, Jay Kirwood, Max Hungerford and Oliver Goode.
The challenge in front of the Saints is to improve on their two wins of last season, with dedicated locals Harley Durward, Mitch Egan, Matt Goode, Jake Tillig, Tom Bertalli and Mitch Birthisel, and emerging talent Owen Lowe, primed to take the next step in their football journey.
They will be pitted against Dale Cameron’s Boort, which scored a narrow victory against the Saints in round 18 last season to close out the 2024 home-and-away season.
The Magpies have lost two of their most reliable performers over recent years, Levi Moss and Jarred Starr, but may have acquired several very capable replacements, including Peter Barbopoulos (East Keilor), Jed Perryman, Carlos Egan, Flynn O’Rourke and the Rutley brothers, Tyson and Kayne, whose father spent time at the club some years ago.
This infusion of new talent, combined with the skills of Jarred Fitzpatrick, the Wilson brothers, James and Keiren, James Keeble and the leg speed of Jayden Dick might give Boort a winning edge.
Can Charlton take the next step?
Charlton is in the same category as St. Arnaud and Boort, desperate to improve on last season’s achievements, with coach Mitch Collins needing to find a suitable replacement for talented teenager, Nick Thompson, who is testing himself in the Bendigo league with Eaglehawk.
Ben Xiriha, Aaron Schofield, Ashton Wood, Maryborough pair Luke Dunne and Liam O’Keefe, are among the new faces in navy blue this season, but they face a massive challenge against a Birchip-Watchem combination desperate for redemption after last season’s grand final loss.
Birchip-Watchem has landed a recruiting coup securing the services of the vastly experienced and highly respected Ash Connick to replace Trevor Ryan.
Connick’s coaching expertise has been garnered over many years, and includes guiding Sandhurst to last season’s Bendigo league premiership and his appointment to coach Bendigo’s inter-league team.
There have been relatively minor changes in personnel within the Bulls’ playing ranks, one of the more significant departures being Pat Veszpremi (Williamstown CYMS), while an influx of new talent is headed by Ben Lakin and Rhona Conboy (Horsham), George Addis (Mt. Barker), and the return of two very handy former locals, Jacob Christie (Rupanyup) and Bill Lee (Uni Blues).
As a proven performer over recent seasons, and with renewed enthusiasm generated by the arrival of Connick, Birchip-Watchem can be expected to perform strongly this season, and should account for an improved Charlton.
This article appeared in The Buloke Times, 4 April 2025.
