Hampton Park is not going to walk into Southern Division 1 short of star players…and the side won’t be short of belief either when next season rolls around.
Coach Luke Bull led the Redbacks to a premiership this year in Division 2 and the club has just signed a couple of big recruits in Heath Briggs and Liam Hasler.
Briggs comes across from Cora Lynn in the West Gippsland Football Netball Competition after winning this year’s senior best and fairest at the Cobras.
While Hasler is an exciting young player from Endeavour Hills, looking for a season free of injury and a fresh start at the Redbacks.
Bull was stoked to sign the duo, which he said would add plenty to the senior side in 2026.
“Briggs has just come off a best and fairest with Cora Lynn, so it was really pleasing to sign him,” he said.
“He has got a few friends at the club with his housemates playing with us, so it was super good to get him down to the club.
“We also signed Liam Hasler from Endeavour Hills – he is a really underrated player and will be very good for us.”
Briggs has called Cora Lynn home since the start of 2016 when he left Narre Warren Junior Football Club and moved to the Cobras.
Since then, he never looked back playing 114 games for Cora Lynn, kicking 78 goals and being named in the best 53 times.
“Briggsy is a high quality player and has played at VFL level with Casey, he is only 25 so he still has plenty of good football ahead of him, he’s only coming into his peak,” Bull said.
“Liam Hasler wouldn’t really be known throughout Division 1, but if you watched Division 2 closely, you would see what a high calibre player he is – he is only 23 years old.”
The goal for Hampton Park next season isn’t to just compete … it’s to win the entire thing – it’s a brave call, but there is a feeling of optimism sweeping around Robert Booth Reserve.
“From our list, we want to add at least five or six players … we’ve got a lot of top-end talent and that will increase our overall depth massively,” Bull said.
“We would’ve already competed with Division 1 sides this year, but if you want to push deep into September, which we do, you’ve got to top up the list a bit.
“We want to go up there and win it straight away, it has been done before and I think it can be done again.”
