EAST Gambier will tackle the new year with several fresh faces after a solid off-season recruitment effort for its 2020 Western Border Football League campaign.
In the aftermath of the Bulldogs’ premature finals exit last year, some senior names stepped away from the club.
However, the injection of six mature-aged players will give everyone at the “Kennel” a significant boost for the upcoming season
The first recruit is experienced head Dylan Williams.
Williams is a former team mate of East coach Matt Willson and the pair won a premiership together at Penola in 2016.
The man known as “Turtle” has played 64 SANFL games for South Adelaide and was the Panthers’ runner-up best and fairest in 2009.
Willson said he looks forward to reuniting his relationship with Williams on the football field.
“Dylan and I have had a long-standing relationship and played a lot of representative footy together at the KNTFL over the years,” he said.
“He is smart and does not need too many opportunities to impact the game.
“He will bring a lot to us on and off the field.”
Willson said Williams will slot into the midfield, but can also have an impact in front of goals.
“He is an experienced midfielder, who is proven to hit the scoreboard when he goes forward,” he said.
“He has probably averaged between 30-45 goals in the last four or five years at country level.”
Since Willson left McCorquindale Park to lead East in 2017, Williams has also been interested to head south, but the move was not possible due to work commitments.
However, the situation has since improved and the former Eagle is finally a Bulldog after almost three years of trying.
Willson believes Williams is ready to make it count.
“We have probably spoken about him potentially coming down for the last few years,” he said.
“Everything sort of aligned this year and he is really excited.
“Hopefully he can challenge us and push us up to the next level.”
The remainder of the incoming group are players who represented East in earlier stages of their careers.
Nhill Football Club trio Matt McCallum, Toby Case and Jake Harrap are set to make the move across the border from Victoria.
McCallum’s name might sound familiar after he played for the Bulldogs’ senior side for many years, including the 2017 success.
After one season away, he returns to his traditional home and hopes to become a regular A Grade member once again.
Case and Harrap have not played for East since their junior days, but return with a wealth of experience from high-level football.
Harrap was best and fairest for Nhill last season and has played for Glenelg in the past, while Case has been part of the South Adelaide system.
The final two men to return are Matt Dempsey and Nick Walters.
Dempsey has made brief appearances for the Bulldogs recently, but after playing seven games last year, he appears set for a full-time campaign in 2020.
Walters is a former junior, who moved up in Adelaide for university, but returns for work commitments to have a crack with the senior side.
Willson said East hoped to bring multiple former talents back to McDonald Park to bolster its midfield stocks and he believes the incoming group will be invaluable inclusions.
“A big focus for us this year was to get former Bulldogs back at the club and playing good football, while they are in the prime of their careers,” he said.
“We also hoped to add a bit of depth to our midfield, which we have lacked over the last few years.
“The likes of Dylan, Jake and Toby can roll through the midfield, then Matt McCallum and Dempsey are outside finishers, while Nick can be a utility.
“Having East people playing at their best here is what it is all about for us at the moment.”
