ROAD TO 2019 BLOG
Transfers are officially back open as of February 1, 2019.
Check out the WRFL Road to 2019 blog below to read about all the latest player movement, coaching and league news as we countdown to the new season.
Tuesday, February 19
Former Barry Priest Medallist Steven Kennedy is returning to Altona after spending one season with Darley in the Ballarat Football League.
Kennedy played with the Vikings in 2017, winning the RAMS Division 1 Best and Fairest, before returning to the Devils last season.
He has a decorated playing history and last year represented Ballarat in the WorkSafe Community Championships.
Friday, February 15
Former Carlton-listed player Dillon Viojo-Rainbow will be making a return to the west in 2019.
The talented footballer, who was Carlton’s second pick in the 2014 AFL draft, taken at selection No.28 from Western Jets, is set to play with Werribee Districts this season.
Viojo-Rainbow was delisted at the end of 2016 without playing a senior game, but has since been playing with Port Melbourne in the VFL. He was a part of their Premiership victory in 2017.
Last year he played 10 games in the VFL and six games for Doncaster East in the Eastern Football League.
Viojo-Rainbow played his junior football at Hoppers Crossing.
Joshua Harris is also returning to Keogh Homes Oval in 2019 after spending a season at Rosebud in the Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League.
Harris was named the Western Region Football League 2017 Rookie of the Year.
Last year he also played in the Challenge Cup, which saw AFL Vic Country take on VAFA’s Under 19’s.
Meanwhile, Ethan Henley from Manor Lakes has transferred to Hoppers Crossing in RAMS Division 1.
Henley was last year named in the Division 2 Team of the Year.
Stephen Brewer has also lodged a transfer from East Malvern to Caroline Springs.
The experienced footballer is a former VFL premiership winner with Port Melbourne and was named in the VFL Team of the Year in 2009.
He played with Greenvale in the EDFL. There he played in three grand finals, winning one flag. He also represented the league at Senior Interleague four times and was named in the Team of the Year on three occasions.
Last year he played with East Malvern in the Southern Football League, also earning a spot in the Division 1 Team of the Year.
Tuesday, February 5
Four-time All-Australian and West Coast premiership player Darren Glass has signed on to play with St Albans in 2019.
Glass played 270 games for the Eagles, retiring in 2014. He was a part of their premiership side in 2006, has won three West Coast Best and Fairest Awards and was captain for six seasons.
Glass is currently an assistant coach with Hawthorn.
He will join the Saints’ coaching panel and will pull on the boots when he doesn’t have Hawks duties.
Glass joins Josh Hill and Adam Yze as St Albans’ biggest recruits this season.
Former Hoppers Crossing star Reece Miles is returning to the west after one year with Melton South in the Ballarat Football League.
Miles, who played with the Warriors for two seasons, will be playing with Manor Lakes in 2019.
He represented the WRFL in both 2016 and 2017.
Monday, February 4
Deer Park premiership player Paul Bower has requested a transfer to Melton South in the Ballarat Football League.
Bower played just one season at John McLeod Oval, playing 18 games including the RAMS Division 1 Grand Final against Hoppers Crossing.
Wyndham Suns defender Asher Kirk looks set to play for North Footscray in Division 2 this year, after the star player requested a transfer over the weekend.
Kirk was named in the Division 3 Team of the Year last season and was a part of the Suns Grand Final team. Caroline Springs’ Troy Manolis will also join the Devils.
After one season at Caroline Springs, Josh Mellington is on the move. Requesting a transfer to Echuca United.
North Sunshine Senior Women’s star Megan Chadwick won’t be at Dempster Park in 2019. She will be playing with the VU Western Spurs in the Northern Football League.
Chadwick was named in the Victoria University Polytechnic Senior Women’s Team of the Year last season.
Leader News is also reporting Sunshine Best and Fairest winner Matthew Hutchesson is on the move, having signed with Macedon in the Riddell District Football League.
Kangaroos big man Matthew Williamson has also requested a transfer, he is set to join Eltham in the Northern Football League.
Leader News is also reporting the Yarraville Seddon Eagles have added some more recruits. The list, which is headed by Andrejs Everitt also includes Kyle Smillie (Wyndham Suns), Kevin Upton (Albion), Cameron Vincent and James Backway (Caulfield).
Finally, Mark and Scott Polycarpou from Albion have requested transfers to Taylors Lakes in the EDFL.
Friday, November 30
On the final day of the November transfer window, a Spotswood star has transferred to Werribee Districts.
Nayef Hamad has swapped RAMS Division 1 clubs and will play with the Tigers in 2019.
The talented footballer played 10 games for Spotswood this year, as well as seven games for Footscray in the VFL. Hamad has also represented the WRFL at the WorkSafe Community Championships.
Former Wyndhamvale coach Daniel Bunworth has also lodged a transfer to join Division 1 club Point Cook.
Bunworth has been involved with the Falcons for the past 10 years, having been a part of their Division 2 Premiership victory in 2015.
He has coached Wyndhamvale for the past two seasons.
Tuesday, November 27
Deer Park premiership player Dyson Stevens is on the move, he has requested a transfer to Melton in the Ballarat Football League.
Ben Christodoulou from Sunshine has also left Kinder Smith Reserve for Keilor in the EDFL.
Monday, November 26
Deer Park’s forward line has been bolstered with former Western Bulldogs player Jack Redpath signing on with the six-time premiers.
Leader reporter Luke D’Anello confirmed the news with coach Marc Bullen, who announced the 27-year-old will join the Lions as they push for a seventh straight Division 1 flag.
Redpath spent seven seasons with Dogs, playing 36 games and kicking 57 goals. He was in the Western Bulldogs leadership group in 2018.
Former North Melbourne and Gold Coast player Daniel Harris and West Coast Eagles young gun Damien Cavka have also signed on.
Bullen also confirmed Dyson Stevens had departed the club while Jason Kennedy and James Condos have retired.
Wednesday, November 21
Wyndham Suns star Hayden Iannacone is on the move.
The talented footballer, who has played more than 200 games with the Suns is set to play with Hoppers Crossing in RAMS Division 1 next year after a transferred was lodged this morning.
Iannacone is a club best and fairest winner and has been named in the Division 3 Team of the Year for the past four years.
Tuesday, November 20
Friday, November 16
PRE-SEASON TRAINING
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Back to business The senior men have completed their first week of preseason #woodsmen #chopemdown
WERRIBEE DISTRICTS
Wyndhamvale star Josh Mould will be playing with Werribee Districts next season after the young gun transferred to the Tigers.
Mould played 17 games for the Falcons this season, kicked 15 goals and was named in the best on 11 occasions.
He played with the Western Jets last in 2017 and is also currently listed with the Werribee Football Club in the VFL.
Mould represented the WRFL in Under 19 WorkSafe Community Championships, winning the Best on Ground medal.
ALBANVALE
The Cobras recruiting spree has continued with the club announcing the signing of the Cameron brothers.
Harley and Ricky will be joining Albanvale from the Rockbank Football Club.
Wednesday, November 14
CAROLINE SPRINGS
Tyson Mihocek, the brother of Collingwood star Brody, is set to join Caroline Springs in 2019.
The talented footballer in his own right has been living and playing in London for the past year, however has decided to return to Australia and play with the Lakers in RAMS Division 1.
It isn’t all good news for Caroline Springs, with some of their star players on the move.
Jason Degabriele, Rex Hickman, Daniel Backus and Justin Brook have all put in transfers to the Mallee Eagles in the Central Murray Football League.
Both Degabriele and Hickman represented the WRFL in senior interleague, with Hickman going on to play with Vic Metro.
BRAYBROOK
Brad Busuttil is returning to Braybrook after spending one season with the Wyndham Suns.
He played 12 senior games with the Suns, kicking 22 goals.
Busuttil played with the Brookers in 2017. In that year he kicked 32 goals and was named in the WRFL Division 3 Team of the Year.
Tuesday, November 13
SPOTSWOOD
Manor Lakes premiership player and WRFL Senior Women’s Best and Fairest winner Gemma Anderson is set to play with Spotswood in 2019.
The talented footballer, who also won the Victoria University Polytechnic Best on Ground Medal at the Grand Final and the Manor Lakes Club Best and Fairest, will call Dreamstreet Lending Oval home next season.
Monday, November 12
DEER PARK
Troy Kelm and Jeremy Mills look set to return to the WRFL in 2019, with the Bendigo Advertiser reporting the two stars are set to line-up with the six-time champions.
The talented footballers have been playing with North Bendigo in the Heathcote District Football League in 2018 and have previously played with Albion in RAMS Division 1 in the WRFL.
Kelm has been the premier ruckman in the HDFL during his stints at North Bendigo, while Mills has become one of the competition’s most damaging goalkicking midfielders.
The pair will add to the Lions’ already formidable line-up as they chase a record seventh straight premiership next season.
ALBANVALE
Albanvale has announced Werribee Districts player Nathan Black has joined their club.
Black has committed to the Cobras for the next two seasons.
He has played with the Tigers for the past three seasons and also had a stint playing with Maribyrnong Park in the EDFL.
WYNDHAM SUNS
The Wyndham Suns have announced Darren O’Flaherty as their new senior coach for 2019.
O’Flaherty is no stranger to the WRFL having played his junior football at Albion. He has also coached both junior and senior sides at Caroline Springs and Deer Park.
For the past four years he has held several roles at a number of clubs.
NORTH FOOTSCRAY
The Devils have confirmed Jonathan Miller will coach the senior side for a second season.
Last year’s premiers was eliminated in the opening week of the Division 2 finals this season.
SUNSHINE
Star player Liam Cavanagh will call Strathmore home in 2019, after a transfer was lodged for the Sunshine player.
Cavanagh has won a club Best and Fairest with the Kangaroos, represented the WRFL on two occasions and played for Vic Metro earlier this year.
Wednesday, November 7
WYNDHAMVALE
Manor Lakes defender Connor Yeoell has signed on with the Wyndhamvale Football Club.
Yeoell began his football career with the Falcons before finishing his juniors off with Werribee Districts.
He then joined Manor Lakes, playing at Howqua Reserve for three seasons. He was this year named in the Division 2 Team of the Year.
BRAYBROOK
Braybrook has secured the services of Sunshine Heights ruckman Jarrad Neilson.
Neilson has swapped clubs and will line-up with the Brookers in 2019.
He spent two seasons at the Dragons. He was named in the Division 3 Team of the Year last year.
ALTONA
The Tanner brothers, Harry and Lachlan will join Taylors Lakes in the EDFL next season after spending one season with the Vikings.
Harry was named in the RAMS Division 1 Team of the Year. He also played six games for Richmond in the VFL.
Lachlan played 12 games for Altona and was a member of the WRFL Senior Interleague team back in May.
ALBION
Springbank in the Central Highlands Football League have also announced three Albion players will join them in 2019.
In a statement on their website, Springbank announced they have secured the services of Jonathan O’Brien, Todd Finco and James Thompson.
It is a big loss for the Cats, as all three players have played influential roles for the club. This season O’Brien represented the WRFL in Senior Interleague as well as Vic Metro and was named in the RAMS Division 1 Team of the Year.
Friday, November 2
Parkside has unveiled some of their newest recruits for 2019.
Daniel Thomas, former premiership player Joey Jamieson, Maribynong Park player Johnny Atar, Jesse McLellan and Matty Chen are all set to play for the Magpies next season.
Thomas comes to the club from the Byron Magpies, where he claimed a Best and Fairest award.
Former premiership player, Jamieson returns to the club, after playing with the Kambalda Football Club in the Goldfields.
Atar, comes to Parkside from Maribynong Park. The club says he is an emerging key position player who has the potential to develop into an important member of their team.
McLellen crosses over to the club from Division 1 club Sunshine. The club says he is a strong player that can play either back or forward, which will provide coach Chris Muratore with some flexibility in the line up.
Finally, Chen returns to Henry Turner Oval after having a year off due to work commitments. Chen has been named in the WRFL Team of the Year on several occasions and is a former premiership player.
Thursday, November 1
WEST FOOTSCRAY
West Footscray has announced the signing of Sunshine footballer Brenton Quinn. He joins the Roosters as a playing assistant coach for the 2019 season.
“Brenton’s family have a long association with the club with both his parents being life members and his father also playing and coaching the club in the 80’s and 90’s,” the announcement stated.
“Brenton returns to the Roosters where he played Juniors before playing in the TAC Cup at the Western Jets. Brenton comes from Division 1 club Sunshine Kangaroos, where he has played all of his senior football and also Captained.”
Quinn has also been a member of the Senior WRFL Interleague team.
LAVERTON
Laverton has secured the talents of three Northern Territory players for next season, including former Essendon player Anthony Long.
Anthony was drafted by the Bombers in 2010 and spent three years with the club before an injury forced him into early retirement. He currently plays for St Mary’s in the Northern Territory, however when he is available he will play with Laverton in Division 3.
Three-time NTFL Premiership player Jack Long will also join the Magpies as well as Banks Bulldogs player Hayden Duczek.
ST ALBANS
Last week, the St Albans Football Club announced the signing of former AFL star Josh Hill.
The 29-year-old will play for the Saints when he doesn’t have VFL duties with the Northern Blues.
Hill played 173 AFL games with the Western Bulldogs and West Coast, with his career spanning more than 10 years.
St Albans has had a host of other signings, they include the re-signings of Jake Galea, James Cimbaljevic, Lachy Calder, Zac Jimenez, Joshua Esposito, Tim Jenkins, Jack Sims, Jarrod Tuppen, Adem Asani and Tom Donoghue.
Jadyn Trowsdale also returns to the club after playing footy with Bacchus Marsh, where he was involved in their 2016 Premiership victory. Thomas Stewart also returns to the club.
Sam Peet also joins St Albans. Peet has spent the past two years playing with the Northern Blues in the VFL. He was also involved with the Knights in the TAC Competition.
Former Taylors Lakes captain Anthony Longo will also pull on the Saints jumper in 2019.