Vigus, Maddern to play in QAFL

PREVIOUSLY team-mates at the Bendigo Bombers Football Club, Justin Maddern and Mark Vigus will join forces with the Labrador Tigers in next season's Queensland AFL action.After a five-year stint with the Metricon-backed Bombers in the VFL, Maddern has decided to head north.Vigus will also bolster the Tigers' on-ball division.The duo will leave Bendigo this Monday for the long trek, by road, to Queensland.Both said yesterday they were looking forward to the challenge of being at a new club, and in a different environment."Playing in Queensland was something that Mark and I had spoken about a few times," Maddern said.After talks with several clubs, they decided to join the Byron Donnellon-coached Labrador.The Tigers were third in '07 in a nine-club league that includes the likes of Mount Gravatt, Southport, Morningside, Suncoast, and Broadbeach.Maddern and Vigus have signed up in Labrador's recruiting spree that has included former Brisbane, St Kilda and Richmond ruckman, Trent Knobel."It's going to be a huge challenge," Maddern said."For both of us it's not just a change of football club, but also lifestyle."Maddern, 22, played more than 20 senior games for the Bombers.After starting as a wingman with Castlemaine he gradually went from being a half-forward to key forward with the Bombers.Injuries were a setback for most of last season."There were plenty of highs and lows throughout my time with the Bombers," Maddern said."It was a great experience, not just the matches, but also training, and I learnt a lot."Vigus, 22, played in Sandhurst's premiership-winning team in '04 and in that season was also on the Bombers' list.After a three-year stint with the red and black, Vigus returned to the Jayco Sandhurst Dragons as assistant coach in '07.The talented on-baller or forward played a key role in the Dragons' run to a third place finish at the end of the home-and-away series in the All Seasons Bendigo Football-Netball League.A broken right hand in the qualifying final loss to Eaglehawk also ended Vigus' season as the bad break needed surgery.He will be right to start pre-season in November."To be playing for Labrador is a big challenge," Vigus said."There are a lot of unknowns about the opposition and we will also have to work hard on our game as well."The move to Queensland is the biggest step Vigus has taken in his football career.He racked up plenty of kilometres travelling from Strathfieldsaye for training and matches when he was with the Bendigo Pioneers.Vigus and his Pioneers team-mates played a TAC Cup under-18s preliminary final on the MCG.Away from the football field, Vigus has kicked on with his work at Bendigo Bank.Now a Tiger, Vigus will be banking on more success with Labrador in the sunshine state.