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READ MORE - Gisborne's 2010-19 Decade in Review
GISBORNE has added Essendon VFL-listed forward Josh Kemp for the 2021 Bendigo Football-Netball League season.
Kemp is a former Calder Cannons player who this year made the Essendon VFL list, but didn't get the opportunity to play any games for the Bombers with the season cancelled.
Kemp played with the Cannons in 2018-19, kicking 16 goals in 13 games, including four on debut against the Eastern Ranges and earned an invite to the 2018 State Combine after just three games in the NAB League.
"Josh is best mates with one of our boys Sam Graham, so that's how we got the connection," Gisborne coach Rob Waters said on Tuesday.
"He's a high hit-up forward who is a really good mark and shot at goal. He's about 182 cms and has come through the Cannons and was on Essendon's VFL list this year.
He's a high hit-up forward who is a really good mark and shot at goal
- Rob Waters on Josh Kemp
"He's a talented young player who will obviously try to make the VFL again in 2021 and will use us as his home club.
"We want to encourage players to play at the highest level they can and if we can have Josh play some local games with us that would be great."
With their latest signing the Bulldogs now have the capacity to boast a forward line spearheaded by Pat McKenna, who booted 95 goals in 2019, Jack Scanlon and Kemp.
McKenna and Scanlon were both inter-league forwards for Bendigo in 2019.
However, the Bulldogs have lost fellow forward Jaidyn Owen to Bacchus Marsh in the Ballarat league.
Gisborne is a team on the rise having over the past four seasons improved from three wins in 2016 to six in 2017, 11 in 2018 and 15 in 2019 when the Bulldogs were less than a kick away from playing in the grand final after losing the preliminary final to Eaglehawk by four points.
* 2021 BFNL coaches:
Castlemaine - Don Moran
Eaglehawk - Travis Matheson
Gisborne - Rob Waters
Golden Square - Christian Carter
Kangaroo Flat - James Flaherty
Kyneton - Paul Chapman
Maryborough - Justin Abrams
Sandhurst - Ashley Connick
South Bendigo - Nathan Horbury
Strathfieldsaye - Darryl Wilson and Shannon Geary
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