READ MORE – 2019 Loddon Valley league fixture

FORMER Bendigo Gold-listed player Galen Munari has joined the additions at Loddon Valley league club Maiden Gully YCW.

Munari is one of two newly-signed recruits to the Eagles, who have also picked up key defender Liam Roberts, who has previously represented Golden Rivers in inter-league.

Munari – also a former Bendigo Pioneer – has spent the past four seasons at Sandhurst, playing 47 senior games for the Dragons through that time, while he has also played senior football at South Bendigo.

Munari played just four senior games with the Dragons this year and was a member of the club’s winning reserves grand final team.

“He’s mates with a lot of the guys at the club and his dad played in a premiership with the club, so he has a connection,” Eagles coach Wayne Mitrovic said.

“Since he came back to Sandhurst from the Bendigo Gold he struggled a bit to get a regular senior game and it got to the point where he wants to become a regular senior on-baller and having the connection at the club through his dad, it’s a good fit and he’s ready to make a change.”

Munari is the third player from Sandhurst the Eagles have recruited this off-season, with Munari joining Matt Gray and Darby Graham as ex-Dragons now at Maiden Gully YCW.

Roberts spent this year playing with Maldon, while he is a former team-mate of Mitrovic’s at Macorna.

“He’s around the six-foot-four mark and played inter-league for Golden Rivers a couple of years ago,” Mitrovic said.

“Bringing in a player of the quality of Liam helps build pressure for spots in the team and he will be a really strong addition to our defence.”

Roberts is the second key defender the Eagles have added for 2019, with Alex Pearson from Kangaroo Flat also joining the club.

The Eagles were the big improvers of the LVFNL in 2018, reaching the preliminary final in what was their return to the finals for the first time since 2011.

Mitch Collins, who was an assistant coach this year, and Matthew Higgs are departures from the Eagles, who play Mitiamo in round one on Saturday, April 6.

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