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NEWBRIDGE has landed its first key signing for the 2021 Loddon Valley league season with the addition of Harry Whittle.
Whittle has been one of the stars of the Heathcote District league for Huntly with the capacity to influence games both in the midfield and up forward.
The 24-year-old was the HDFNL's Rising Star winner in 2014, runner-up to team-mate Ryan Semmel in the 2016 Cheatley Medal and is a three-time inter-league player.
Whittle is joining the Maroons - where his father Rod played during the '80s - as an assistant coach to Luke Freeman.
"It's a good opportunity to get some coaching experience, so I'll try to learn as much as I can off Foz," Whittle said on Monday.
"Dad played a bit of footy at Newbridge in the '80s and was part of a reserves flag out there and I'm sure he'll be happy to come back to support me and tip in a bit of money over the bar.
"The change will be nice having been at Huntly for a while... the chance to experience a bit of different footy is something I'm looking forward to."
The change will be nice having been at Huntly for a while... the chance to experience a bit of different footy is something I'm looking forward to
- Harry Whittle
Whittle first played senior football with the Hawks in 2014 and has twice kicked 50-plus goals in a season - 54 in 2016 and 51 in 2017.
Freeman says the experience Whittle brings and his capacity to be prolific through the middle and damaging inside 50 will be a major asset to what is a young Maroons' list.
"It's a huge signing for the club. Harry's playing record speaks for itself and when you factor in that he's still only 24, he still has his best footy ahead of him," Freeman said.
"We think he's the perfect age to lead the next group of kids we've got coming through.
"We've recruited Harry as a midfielder, but we know what he can do as a forward as well, so it's good to be able to have that option up the sleeve that we can move things around if we need to and keep the opposition guessing a bit.
"Hopefully, Harry's signing can be a real catalyst for us in terms of being able to add in some more new players."
At this stage Freeman expects all of the Newbridge list who had committed to this year's cancelled season to stick with the club in 2021.
THE 50 MOST DOMINANT PREMIERSHIP SEASONS ACROSS THE REGION SINCE 1990 - THE LIST SO FAR
No.6 - Strathfieldsaye 2015
No. 7 - Heathcote 2010
No. 8 - South Bendigo 1993
No. 10 & 9 - Golden Square 2010; Strathfieldsaye 2019
No. 12 & 11 - Castlemaine 2000; Strathfieldsaye 2014
No. 14 & 13 - Leitchville-Gunbower 2017; South Bendigo 1991
No. 16 & 15 - Colbinabbin 1999; Mount Pleasant 1995
No. 18 & 17 - YCW 1997; Bridgewater 2015
No. 20 & 19 - Mount Pleasant 1997; Mount Pleasant 1993
No. 22 & 21 - Bridgewater 2010; Bridgewater 2011
No. 24 & 23 - LBU 2011; Colbinabbin 1998
No. 26 & 25 - Gisborne 2003; LBU 2013
No. 28 & 27 - Gisborne 2002; Colbinabbin 1991
No. 30 & 29 - Maryborough 1998; Gisborne 2005
No. 32 & 31 - South Bendigo 1994; Golden Square 2009
No. 34 & 33 - Castlemaine 1992; South Bendigo 1990
No. 36 & 35 - Mitiamo 1999; Sandhurst 2016
No. 38 & 37 - North Bendigo 2019; Leitchville-Gunbower 2018
No. 40 & 39 - Bridgewater 1991; Calivil United 2017
No. 42 & 41 - Heathcote 1992, Sandhurst 2004
No. 44 & 43 - Eaglehawk 2008, Elmore 2007
No. 46 & 45 - Mount Pleasant 1990, Newbridge 2018
No. 48 & 47 - Gisborne 2006, Calivil United 1990
No. 50 & 49 - Calivil United 2003, Eaglehawk 2018
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