Sherman’s shaping up nicely for return
A FITTER Zak Sherman is returning to St Mary’s — and he’s back with a point to prove.
Sherman, 26, missed last year’s flag because of injury and fitness, leaving to join BFL club Geelong Amateur.
But after some time away from Anthony Costa Oval, he has told Saints officials he would come back.
St Mary’s co-coach Glenn Keast said Sherman’s best was “as good as anyone running around in the comp”.
“Some of our guys that have been doing a bit of training with him here and there and have said he’s thinking about (returning),” Keast said.
“He’s obviously made that call and we’ve sat down with him a couple of times and had the conversation.
“He’s come to that conclusion that he wants to come back and have a real stab at footy in the next few years at the higher level.”
The star midfielder kicked 145 goals over 110 games for St Mary’s and returns as a onepoint player.
He had some time with Geelong in the VFL and claimed the Saints’ best-andfairest in 2015, also receiving
GFL Team of the Year honours in 2016.
Sherman played in each of the losing 2016, ’17 and ’18 losing grand finals but missed last year’s decider after doing a hamstring in Round 14 against Colac.
He played three reserves games, including two finals, but did not win his place back into the senior side.
“Even by his own admission, (he) wasn’t in the condition to play GFL footy, particularly when you get to the big ground come finals,” Keast said.
“The positive thing for us is he’s worked all that out in his head that he wants to maximise what he wants to get out of footy in the next few years.”
Keast said it was the best condition Sherman had been in “by a long way”.
“He did a marathon a couple of weeks ago, which if you told me Zak Sherman would do a marathon a couple of years ago or a year ago, he wouldn’t have been the first person I thought (of),” he said.
“(COVID) has given him a bit of space and time to have a think about what he wants to get out of his footy for the rest of his career.”
Keast forecast any further player movement news out of St Mary’s would be weeks away because of changes to AFL list sizes and the NAB League.
He said retiring ruckman Andrew Banjanin was “the only definite out from our grand final side”.
HE’S COME TO THAT CONCLUSION THAT HE WANTS TO COME BACK AND HAVE A REAL STAB AT FOOTY IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS AT THE HIGHER LEVEL.”