VFL turning eyes to northern talent
GOLD Coast have become the new recruitment zone for Victorian football clubs who now rate the standard of players good enough to play at a high level in the sport’s heartland.
Harry Simington has become the second Gold Coast player to sign with Victorian Football League club Coburg alongside Brodie Foster, while two-time QAFL premiershipwinning former Palm Beach Currumbin coach Chad Owens has also joined the Lions.
Coburg VFL coach Leigh Adams said Gold Coast was quickly emerging as an improving source for clubs looking for talent and suggested the arrival of the Queenslanders would only open the door for more to go south looking for opportunities.
“Having a few guys at our footy club now from up that way will make it easier for us to build contacts there and help us become better judges of who is up to the standard,” Adams said.
“We will continue to build on those relationships and if we think guys are up to it we have no qualms offering them opportunities.
“The guys on the Gold Coast are realising now that if they don’t get picked up when they are 18 or 19 years old by AFL clubs then the VFL gives them a really good chance to play in front of a lot of recruiters.
“They can test themselves every week against AFL players because 10 of our 15 teams are aligned with AFL clubs.
“There is more exposure down here.”