Grubbers unveil first recruit for 2018
JUSTIN Carey believes he will relish the opportunity to move into the midfield as Ocean Grove netted the first big recruit for the 2018 season.
The Grubbers announced their star signing yesterday, with senior coach Paul Lynch revealing plans to mould the key defender into a wrecking ball onballer.
“We definitely need some bigger bodies around the footy and some more contested midfielders and Justin will bring that,” Lynch said.
“The most important thing that Justin brings is leadership.
“We’re a young side and we don’t have a plethora of leaders. An area of concern that we have is we need someone to drive training a bit better and Justin’s very good in that department.”
Carey crosses to Ray Menzies Oval after a two-year stint at St Albans, where he acted as co-coach in the early part of this season.
He admitted he had fallen out of love with the game.
“There was a bit happening down there and I just want to get back to enjoying my footy,” Carey said.
“I had a good first year in the GFL, I played interleague and finished third in the best and fairest, and this year I had another good year but I just wasn’t enjoying it as much.
“I really enjoyed the club, but with work commitments, it was a bit too much for me, so it’s the right time for me to step back at my age.
“Playing finals before I finished my career is what I want to do, and I’ve come from Albury, who has played in eight of the last nine grand finals, so I miss that feeling.”
Carey has close ties with Grubber Kaiden Long, who initiated talks.
“I’ve got a couple of mates down there and I’ve always heard that they are a good club,” he said.
“We spoke a fair bit over the phone and we sat down a couple of times a few weeks before the season finished.
“I was still a bit unsure about what I was going to do, and as soon as the season finished, I sat down with my partner and we thought it was a good fit.
“I’m super keen to get fit and spend some time in the midfield.
“I’ve played a fair bit in defence in my career but I’m excited to go through the midfield and see if I can help them out.”