Narre Warren has signed Box Hill captain and former Officer junior Callum Porter to play for the Magpies in 2026 in a huge coup for the club.
When Narre recently signed returning two-time premiership player Tom Miller back from a stint at Wodonga, they had no idea that one would bring two.
Porter is best mates with Miller and once he found out about his return to Narre Warren, he also was enticed to join the club, stepping away from his VFL duties and making Kalora Park his new destination.
The 26 year old said the opportunity to play alongside Miller was a huge drawcard for him to sign on with the Magpies.
“We went to school together and we are very close, so the prospect of playing with him is really exciting for me,” Porter said.
“He has been a big driver in getting me there and I’m just really keen to experience a different environment, enjoy my footy and try to be a bit of a difference-maker for them.”
The Porter name is synonymous with the local region and Callum will forever be a self-proclaimed Officer person at heart.
The versatile midfielder was drafted to the Western Bulldogs in 2017 before he was delisted in 2020 and began to establish himself at the Hawks in the VFL.
“They really supported me, to be captain for three years, to win a best and fairest and clubman awards, I was very lucky,” he said.
“I still had the want to play AFL footy, I just didn’t have enough interest or people willing to take a chance on me … I felt I was playing good enough footy, but you still need some luck and someone to back you in.
“The fact that there weren’t bigger and better opportunities ahead at AFL level wasn’t the end of the world because of the amazing environment I was in at Box Hill.”
Porter said he had undergone a “mindset shift” and wanted to prioritise some other areas of his life.
“As I have gotten older, I have got different perspectives on what is fulfilling and what is going to be beneficial for me enjoying my time, and this was a really attractive opportunity to play with mates but also contribute to a club which is really driven to perform,” he said.
“It had been on my mind in the back half of the year, I am only 26 and have plenty of good footy left in me, so it was my football life pulling me in one direction and my personal life pulling me in another.
“I have played high level footy for the best part of the last 10 years and just in a different phase of life now where I am sort of transitioning and I think Narre Warren is a great place for me.”
Having spent years working alongside some of the best midfielders in the AFL, Porter has plenty of experience that he hopes to pass onto the plethora of young talent at the club.
Luke Beveridge and Sam Mitchell are just two of the amazing coaches Porter has learned from throughout his journey at AFL/VFL level, not to mention players like Marcus Bontempelli and Josh Dunkley.
“In that Bulldogs midfield, which I was lucky enough to work with, it probably meant that there was less opportunity at AFL level, but it also meant I had some of the best teachers in the game,” he said.
“If I can impart a bit of that onto the younger boys at Narre Warren, even just to connect with them and help them mix into the club a bit, almost in more of an off-field mentor role, those are things I am really passionate about.
“I just finished a teaching degree last year as well, so I feel like I have a lot of the skills whether it is around coaching, teaching or mentoring.”
Porter is a 183cm contested midfielder who provides plenty of grunt work and has a heavy focus on clearances and tackling pressure, looking to combine well with Miller and the other midfielders.
“Being able to be a strong inside midfielder is my strength, with a lot of fast and skilful outside midfielders, I think I will be able to complement them well,” he said.
“A guy who I spent a lot of time with was Tom Liberatore, he is a guy who I try to emulate and play like … that’s what I want to bring to Narre Warren.
“I know me and Tom will have great chemistry on field, hopefully both of us can stand at a centre bounce next to each other.”
Not to mention other stars like Kurt Mutimer who also has AFL experience, Tom Toner who won the Ellis Medal a few weeks ago and Hayden Dwyer who came runner-up in the club best and fairest.
“We have so many guys who can go through there, I am fortunate to go to a place where there is a lot of talent there already,” Porter said.
Narre Warren wanted to play finals last season and coach Steve Kidd said there was a feeling of a disappointment in missing out on that goal, but Porter was driven to make that a reality in 2026.
“Even most of their losses last year, they were leading at half time or three-quarter time and we just want to add to the hard work they have already done … they are an amazing footy club, which is led incredibly well,” he said.
“I want to help them get back to where they belong and at the same time, develop personally, enjoy my football and strike a really good balance with that.”
