Two BFNL and Bendigo Pioneers products will play for Carlton's new standalone reserves team in 2021.
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Ruckman Aaron Gundry (South Bendigo) and key forward Lachlan Bond (Maryborough) are two of 14 non-AFL-listed players to sign with Carlton's reserves.
The majority of the 14 players have come through the NAB League system.
While there was no NAB League football played in 2020, Gundry and Bond caught the eye of the Blues in 2019 and new Carlton reserves coach Daniel O'Keefe signed the duo.
Aaron Gundry, the son of South Bendigo premiership wingman Tony Gundry, was one of the most talented ruckmen of the 2019 NAB League class.
He was part of the AFL Victoria Country academy and was the fastest ruckman over 20m in state combine testing.
Lachlan Bond, the nephew of Maryborough great Jamie Bond, won the BFNL Rising Star award in 2018 before a foot injury ruined his 2019 season.
Bond trained with Essendon's VFL group last pre-season and, ironically, played in a VFL practice match for Essendon against Carlton's then VFL affiliate Northern Blues. The Blues' team included Gundry.
Gundry and Bond were going to play for the Pioneers in 2020 as over-age players before the COVID-19 pandemic ruined the football season.
The structure of the new-look 2021 VFL competition is still to be announced.
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