Collingwood has much of its 2019 AFL squad in place following a swathe of new or recent re-signings.
With retention and development from within being a strategic focus for the club, many of the players out of contract at the end of the recently completed campaign have recommitted.
In the back half of the ground, defenders Lynden Dunn (1yr), Darcy Moore (2yrs), Tom Langdon (3yrs) and Flynn Appleby (2yrs) have penned new deals.
Further afield, Tim Broomhead (1yr), Jamie Elliott (1yr) and Josh Thomas (3yrs) have set themselves for 2019.
While Broomhead continues to make a good recovery from a broken leg he suffered in the second round of the season, he will be delisted with a guarantee from the club to re-draft him as a rookie for 2019.
Appleby, who joined Collingwood as a rookie for 2018, will remain on the rookie list next year.
Collingwood list manager, Ned Guy, said that retaining a majority of the squad that played the club into the 2018 grand final was a priority.
“This is a squad that is still discovering how good it can be, a squad that is still to ripen,” Guy said.
“For a majority of the players on our list, the prime years of their careers are out there in front of them.
“A lot of work over a number of years went into piecing the squad together and if you combine the profile of the list, the improvement we witnessed this year and the improvement to come then keeping largely with what we have and adding to it through select trading and drafting is prudent.”
Two Irish Sign In
Collingwood’s historically productive search for alternative athletes continues, with the signing of two outstanding Irish key position prospects in Mark Keane and Anton Tohill.
Keane, at 194cm, and Tohill, at 198cm, recently returned excellent AFL Draft Combine results off the back of training for much of the last 12 months under the tutelage of fellow Irishman and former Collingwood player, Marty Clarke.
Clarke, Collingwood’s first international recruit who has since been followed by the likes of American Mason Cox, played 73 games for Collingwood in two stints with the club, from 2007-09 and 2012-14.
Keane and Tohill attended an international AFL Academy in the USA last January and tested exceptionally well at a similar combine in Europe.
At the recent AFL Draft Combine in Melbourne, Keane finished second in the goal kicking test won by Collingwood Next Generation Academy prospect, Isaac Quaynor. Tohill, at the same event, finished 12thin the overall kick testing. Both recorded excellent speed and agility results.
Keane hails from Cork and Tohill from Derry in Northern Ireland. Both are 18 years old.
The Tohill name will be familiar to some. Anton is the son of former Gaelic and International Rules star Anthony Tohill who spent time with the Melbourne Football Club in the 1990s.
Collingwood national recruiting manager, Derek Hine, said both players stand to become athletic key position players in the medium to long term.
“Mark and Anton will really add to our developing key position depth,” Hine said.
“They are different to each other in the manner in which they play. Anton has the makings of a tall utility who will be capable at both ends of the ground, with the potential to play minutes in the ruck.
“Mark is very strong overhead and has natural game sense. We can see him playing as a key forward or key defender.”
Keane and Tohill will join the club next month, ahead of the commencement of pre-season training for the 1-4 year players.
One Pie Signs Out
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| Alex Fasolo |
The selection will be at the end of the third round (currently pick No. 57) as Fasolo has chosen to continue his career with the Carlton Football Club.
Fasolo joined Collingwood as pick No. 45 in the 2010 National Draft and went on to play 101 games over eight seasons with the club.
The 26-year-old kicked 133 goals in the Black and White stripes, booting 25 goals in 2016 to finish as the club’s leading goal kicker for the season.
A shoulder injury interrupted Fasolo’s pre-season in 2018, his first appearance coming in Round 9 where he sustained an ankle injury and was unable to break into the senior side for the remainder of the season.
Collingwood List Manager Ned Guy thanked Fasolo for his contribution to the club.
“Alex has given a lot to the football club over his time with us and we appreciate his dedication to the program,” Guy said.
“He’s a popular figure who I’m sure will be missed by many around the club.
“We wish him the very best for his future with Carlton Football Club and beyond.”
As the draft order stands at present, Collingwood's selections are 18, 51, 56, 57 and 75.
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