Returning juniors and players hitting their stride career-wise, the names have continued to fly around, even as sides hit the track to ‘train the house down’ ahead of round one, less than two months away.
Arguably the biggest breakthrough signing of the lot came on Sunday itself, with Rochester making another big move to secure a potential star on the rise.
The Tigers unveiled Drew Lloyd as their latest acquisition at the weekend, in the midst of a shot to prominence after earning a spot on Port Melbourne’s VFL list for 2025.
No stranger to the state’s north-western reaches, Lloyd plied his trade at Balranald in the Central Murray competition and featured in its interleague side against the Sunraysia league last year, but has now nominated Rochester as his home club.
Down south, Seymour has kept the new faces ticking over in rapid order with the additions of brothers Lachlan and Darcy Giles.
The Giles boys hail from Lancefield out of the Riddell District competition, following the lead of fellow 2025 recruit Cam Osmond, with Lachlan set to man a half-back flank and Darcy to adopt a utility role where needed.
There’s been some strengthening going on in the region’s other leagues as well, with Dookie United bringing in more bodies ahead of a new chapter in the Picola realm.
In recent days, the Thunder have confirmed the signings of two players who spent 2024 at Shepparton clubs, with Tanner Webber arriving from Shepparton East’s junior setup and Archie Lewis signing on out of United.
Dookie’s Travis Waters lauded the signing of Lewis, who made five senior appearances in the red and blue last year, as a return to the Picola league beckons for the first time since 2018.
“We’re pretty much with our full squad from last year,” Waters said.
“There are a couple of Melbourne boys not playing for us, but we’ve picked up three or four others, and we’re comfortable with where we’re at.
“Archie has a couple of mates at Dookie, which helps, but he’s a young fella who’s played a few senior games, which is good for us.
“He can play anywhere on the ground and he’s a good person to get with how versatile he is at his age.
“He’ll be a great asset to the club.”
The Murray competition has seen some incomings in recent times as well, with Echuca United securing the return of Ollie Poole as a home club signing while he competes in Carlton’s VFL side.
Speaking of players coming back to their home clubs in the Murray, Tongala was able to lure Bailey Waasdorp to the town, where his time in football began, after spending 2024 at North Heidelberg in the metropolitan Northern Football Netball League.
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