By Nick Creely
Local football clubs are busily preparing for the 2018 season and scrambling to improve their list in any way possible during the off-season.
In the Southern Football League, Division 2 side DOVETON EAGLES have poached Doveton star Nick Battle.
The brother of St Kilda forward Josh, Nick has been a star of the SEFNL for many years as a skilful, quick winger.
The Eagles have also landed premiership champion Ryan Hendy from the Doves, as they look to follow on from their Division 3 premiership success.
KEYSBOROUGH has also been a major winner this off-season, with James Anwyl and Aaron Mcllroy (Mt Eliza) crossing over to the Burras.
Ex-EFL goal-kicking machine Matthew Carnelley will also lead a new look forward line, while the Burra have also managed to re-sign the majority of its senior list, with superstar Chris Bryan recommitting to the club for another season.
It will now build one of the most formidable forward lines in Southern footy, with Carnelley and Bryan to form a lethal combination up forward.
In Division 3, SPRINGVALE DISTRICTS has landed a big fish in two-time Noble Park premiership player George Angelopoulos signing on for the club.
The skilful midfielder has been an Eastern star for many years, and only recently enjoyed stints at Stony Creek, Narre Warren and Karingal.
Chris Chalmers has also returned to the Demons, while Chris Pistos also crosses over from Noble Park as they look to improve on a disappointing 2017.
Division 4 club DANDENONG REDLEGS have signed up Matthew Collett and Luke Damato, as they look to continue their development into 2018. Collett and Damato both come from Keysborough, and will add some further depth in the midfield next season.
LYNDALE have also been highly active in the off-season, with Furkan Erkal, Mick Hemmett, Nick Cunningham all joining the club, while star spearhead Trevor Kumetaitis will go around again for the Cougars after a brilliant 2017 season.
In the Eastern Football League, NOBLE PARK has had an eventful off-season to date, with many key departures putting a dent in their Division 1 finals hopes for 2018.
Bulls’ stars James Gwilt, Ziggie Alwan and Trent Robertson have all signed with rival club Rowville, in a bitter blow to the club.
Chris Pitsos, skipper Sam Monaghan, Tim Kelly, Matthew Homfray and Shayne Allan have all departed to rival clubs.
The Bulls have, however, brought in Kieran Byers, Jacob Duscher, Jake Gains, Brenton Hillard, Jarrod Smith and Jack Wheeler as they look to build a new look list.
But in better news for the Bulls, current AFL star and former junior Adam Treloar will form part of the junior coaching panel, as he looks to help develop the next batch of senior stars at the club.
