Grenfell departs Demons
JUST one week after being a key member of Nyah Nyah West United’s drought breaking premiership, full-forward Brandyn Grenfell has announced his departure.
Grenfell will be taking his talents to Heathcote District Football Netball Club Colbinabbin, where he will join forces with new Grasshoppers coach Linton Jacobs, with the pair having won back-to-back premierships with Marong in 2022 and 2023.
Grenfell was the Central Murray’s leading goal kicker this season, having booted 89 goals, including four in last Saturday’s 54 point grand final win over Kerang.
NNW United premiership coach Jason Murphy spoke to The Guardian after the news of Grenfell’s departure, with the Demons leader full of praise for his premiership forward.
“I couldn’t speak anymore highly about Brandyn and the impact he has had on our club during his short stint with us,” Murphy said.
“He will forever be a premiership player at United and he will always be welcomed to our club with open arms.
“As a club we would like to publicly wish Brandyn all the best with his next chapter, as sad as it is to see him go, he has been very transparent with us the whole time, which has held us in good stead in finding a replacement for 2025.”
Johnstone hops from Kangas
GRENFELL won’t be the only Central Murray full-forward to be playing in the Heathcote District FNL next season, with former Cohuna forward Dylan Johnstone signing with Heathcote for next season.
Johnstone kicked 13 goals from eight games for the Kangas this season, with the key position prospect playing his last game in round 9 against Kerang.
Johnstone didn’t play a game during the second half of the season and missed Cohuna’s run of eight straight victories, and departs the club having kicked 198 goals from 66 games since 2019 for Cohuna.
Hann to lead Mt Pleasant
KERANG will have a vastly different look to their leadership structure next season, with assistant coach Josh Hann departing the Blues to take on the role of co-coach at Mt Pleasant in the Heathcote District FNL next season.
Hann will join senior coach Troy Coates in departing the club, with Hann set to join forces with Cameron Carter next season as joint coach of Mt Pleasant after four seasons with Kerang, which included back-to-back premierships in 2022 and 2023.
Hann will be hoping to lead Mt Pleasant back to the finals next season, after the Blues finished outside the top five with a seven win, nine loss record following their premiership win in 2022.
Tigers roar into 2025
WOORINEN have wasted no time in building a strong playing list ahead of next season, with the club confirming the return of former players.
Nyawi Moore, Darren Rushton, Zack Ryan and Jamie Nicholas will all return to the club as one point players, having previously played their junior football at the Tigers.
2019 premiership Tiger Moore will return to the club having played seven senior games with Swan Hill this season.
Moore last played with Woorinen in 2022, before departing to play with Heywood in the South West District FNL in 2023, with the speedy winger/half back set to play a key role in the Tigers plans to return to finals next season.
Also returning to Woorinen next season will be another key contributor to the club’s 2019 premiership in Darren Rushton, who will return to the club after spending the past four seasons plying his trade with Wandella in the Golden Rivers FNL.
Having spent the past six seasons with the Gordon Football Club in the Central Highlands FL, Ryan will also return home to his junior club, with the onballer looking to add a premiership with the Tigers to his 2022 and 2023 flags with Gordon.
Nicholas also returns fresh off winning this year’s Golden Rivers seniors premiership with Ultima, having also played a starring role in Woorinen’s 2018 and 2019 seniors flags.
The quartet will join the Miliado brothers, Jose and Elijah, and Lachie Martin in pulling on the yellow and black next season, along with Arnold Kirby, Jye Barry, Josh Stone, Tom Langford, Henry Thompson, Taylor Cameron and Robert Rush, who have all re-signed with the club.
Thompson top Tiger
HENRY Thompson claimed his first Butler Medal recently, winning Woorinen’s seniors best and fairest to complete a big couple of weeks out at Tigerland.
Having moved into the midfield, Thompson capped off a strong season in yellow and black, beating three-time reigning best and fairest Jye Barry by 12 votes.
Thompson confirmed his status as one of the Central Murray’s up-and-coming stars, having also been named in the league’s team of the year this season on the half back flank.
Another of Woorinen’s young guns was centre stage at their presentation night, with goal shooter Willow Conlan winning her first A grade netball best and fairest for the Tigers.
Conlan polled 69 votes to beat home veteran and reigning club best and fairest Tessa Demaria, by 13 votes.
In the other awards, Gwennie Thompson (64 votes) claimed the A reserves best and fairest ahead of defender Rachel McLaughlin (62 votes) in the closest vote count of the night, with Tenay Fellows adding Woorinen’s B grade best and fairest to her league honours, with Toni Bolton close behind.
Cheryl Kemp finished 23 votes ahead of Gabrielle Boers in the Tigers B reserves netball best and fairest, while Matt Iannucci won the reserves football best and fairest by an incredible 71 votes, with Xavier Johnson taking home the colts award.
Helman goes back-to-back
COHUNA midfielder Joel Helman has capped off an extraordinary 2024 season, adding the Kangas seniors best and fairest to his win in this year’s Jack Betts Medal recently.
Helman beat home first year coach Jack Geary to claim back-to-back wins as Cohuna’s premier player at the club’s presentation day.
Helman won his second Jack Betts Medal as the Central Murray Football Netball League’s best player in a three-way tie with Mallee Eagles co-coach Harry Allen and Tooleybuc-Manangatang ruckman Connor Mcdonald.
Carly Geary won her first Cohuna best and fairest in his first season at the club, beating Ebony Black to the A grade best and fairest in a competitive vote count.
Makayla Heap won Cohuna’s A reserves netball best and fairest ahead of runner up Lucy Holdstock, while Tegan Webb and Amy Deayton won the Kangas B grade and B reserves best and fairests.
Riley Mason was crowned as Cohuna’s reserves football bets and fairest, just ahead of Mason Fehring, with Angus Donat winning the Kangas colts best and fairest ahead of Travis Ford.
