Rennie Football Club has lured two former AFL footballers for this season.
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In what is a major coup for the Picola District Football Netball League club, Brendan Fevola and Ricky Dyson are set to pull on the green and white.
Fevola — a two-time AFL Coleman medallist with Carlton and Yarrawonga premiership hero — has already been cleared to the Hoppers.
And Dyson — who played more than 100 games with Essendon — is awaiting confirmation after he lodged his clearance at the weekend.
Rennie’s star player signings come less than a week after the league announced its proposed start date for the season for July 11.
Club president Matt Stephens was ecstatic to have acquired the services of Fevola and Dyson in a year that has been interrupted due to COVID-19.
“It’s really exciting for the club to have two players of Brendan and Ricky’s calibre join the club,” Stephens said.
“They are both keen to play some footy and hopefully we will be right to go next month at the proposed start date given by the league.”
Fevola, 39, last played for Rennie in 2017, where he bagged seven goals against Waaia in his only appearance for the Hoppers.
The former Carlton and Brisbane Lions footballer kicked more than 600 goals from 204 AFL matches in his decade-long career.
After carving out a career as a midfielder at the Bombers, Dyson, who frequently holidays in Yarrawonga, has spent recent seasons at Banyule in Northern Football League, which cancelled its season last week.
Stephens said senior coach Craig Ednie got in contact with Fevola about the prospect of pulling on the boots again.
“Craig got in contact with Brendan and after a few chats things started to get serious,” he said.
“Fev said he’s really keen to help the club out, during what are pretty tough times, not just for us, but for all clubs.
“Once we are allowed crowds hopefully he and Ricky can help bring people through the gate.”
The league announced last week in a statement that it hoped to begin a 13-round season on July 11.
Stephens said he was ‘‘not sure yet’’ in regards to the amount of games Fevola and Dyson would play.
“We will know more on June 22 when restrictions are expected to be further lifted by the State governments. Until then nothing is absolutely certain,” Stephens said.
Rennie’s acquisition of the former AFL players is the start of player movements in the region following the cancellation of Kyabram & District, Hume and Ovens & King League’s seasons.
Tallygaroopna’s Tyson Sidebottom has a clearance pending to Strathmerton, while fellow Redleg Lachlan Karl has shifted to Waaia.
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