By Jonty Ralphsmith
Southern League Division 1 club Springvale Districts have a swag of East Gippsland recruits ahead of 2023 – and a secret asset to thank.
The Dees have welcomed former Lakes Entrance captain Fraser Dostine, 24-year-old Maffra ruck Ryan Auld, Wy Yung defender Mitch ‘Percy’ Dewar, Liam Giove from Bairnsdale and former Heyfield and Lakes Entrance player Xavier Woodland.
They’ll also have Ben Brunt, son of Maffra president John, train with the club during preseason and as part of that relationship, Districts will have its preseason camp in the small East Gippy town.
The Dees don’t currently have a junior program, meaning they are entirely reliant on bringing outsiders in to fill their squad.
“We could recruit locally but we saw an opportunity and wanted to do something different, we don’t want to be like everyone else,” coach Kris Thompson said.
“These guys are easy to coach; they’re all good people.”
Woodland’s uncle, Joe Mahony, who has become a popular figure around Springvale Reserve in recent years, has taken a lead role in helping facilitate much of that player movement as recruiting manager.
Mahony grew up in Heyfield, and mutual contacts have helped attract country footballers looking to relocate for lifestyle reasons.
Giove, a big-bodied midfielder with 80 senior games under his belt, signed early in preseason and many he knew followed suit, including his housemate, Dewar.
“He’s a switched-on guy,” Thompson said of Mahony.
“He’s a bit of an ideas man, with the footy club he’s always got new ideas and he’s like a dog with a bone if he gets an idea in his head – he’ll follow through.
“Joe has a lot of connections and the footy club has a lot of connections, so depending what line of work they’re looking for when they relocate, we try and help set them up with the employer.
“Do they need a rental property? We have sponsors and friends in that game too.
“In saying that, we don’t baby them, but we support them during the relocation.
“We support them in any way you need and the other thing is, immediately they will meet (30-plus) people that live in a similar area.”
The investment in players’ personal lives and relocation puts an added importance for the Dees on the cliched phrase of getting ‘culture-enhancing characters’ through the doors.
Those recruits are in addition to a couple of other former club captains, Dylan Quirk at Narre Warren and Nick Gay from Endeavour Hills, while another recruit, Daniel Helmore, Garfield’s 2021 Best and Fairest, has come back in ripping condition.
It’s a big turnover for a list that has long had a stable core.
Players are now having Strava challenges to see who gets the guernsey numbers on ‘Hollywood Boulevard’ which have opened up for the first time in many years, with more than 600 games of experience being lost.
Last year’s skipper Todd Wills won’t be returning, likewise Mladen Josic (198 games), Ben Stacey (154), Bora Ork (65) and Tom Cooper (68).
Coach Thompson said the reinforcements will be necessary if the club is going to challenge the top five, after missing out by four games in 2022.
The forward-line looks strong with Tyrone Vickery and Matt Wetering the key posts playing alongside each other, and the midfield and defensive reinforcements have been necessary.
Auld tapping down to fellow newcomers Giove, Gay, and Helmore in the middle creates a different look, and Dostine and 2022 East Gippsland team of the year centre-half-back Dewar stabilise the defensive posts.
