COLBINABBIN has added some Goulburn Valley league senior experience to its list as it continues to hunt its first Heathcote District league premiership since 2008.
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Among the recruits joining the Grasshoppers for the 2022 season is Luke Moore from the Shepparton Swans in the GV league.
Moore played 10 senior games with the Swans and featured in the best players five times in last year's COVID-impacted GV season.
"He's an A grade midfielder who has that GV experience with the Swans and is originally from Finley," Colbinabbin coach Julian Bull said on Thursday.
"He lives with Jed Brain (Colbinabbin best and fairest winner last year), so we've got a good connection there.
"He's not a big guy, but he's a real ball magnet and is that in-and-under type midfielder who will accumulate possessions and will certainly hit the scoreboard as well."
He's not a big guy, but he's a real ball magnet and is that in-and-under type midfielder who will accumulate possessions and will certainly hit the scoreboard as well
- Julian Bull
The Grasshoppers have also signed Nathan Angelino from Kyabram District league club Lancaster, with Bull earmarking him for a role as a tall defender.
"He's a young fella who is mates with a few of our uni boys and has played senior footy with Lancaster and some reserves footy in the GV with Kyabram," Bull said.
"He's 192cms and at the age of 20 we're hoping he can play either full-back or centre half-back for us both this year and moving forward."
The Grasshoppers also have some familiar faces returning to the club.
Will Lowe is back at M.J. Morgan Oval following three years with Birchip-Watchem, while the experienced Tim Holobowski is also playing again with Colbinabbin, with the pair, along with Moore, to add further midfield depth for the Grasshoppers.
And Jimmy McMurtrie is joining older brothers Hugh and Geordie at the Grasshoppers, also.
"Jimmy has been playing at Rupanyup, but he has also played some St Mary's footy up in Darwin and is a very handy player," Bull said.
"He can play a bit of everywhere... through the midfield, out on a wing or go to a flank as well, so he'll give us some flexibility."
There are several key departures from the Grasshoppers, who finished second in last year's COVID-shortened season.
Half-back Daniel Hill has moved to Perth, while star ruckman Lochlan Sirett is returning to Birchip-Watchem where he previously played from 2016 to 2019.
"We always knew we'd probably only have Lochie back for the one year, but I was hoping to twist his arm to get another year from him," said Bull, who is gearing up for his fourth year at the helm of the Grasshoppers.
"We've also had a couple of retirements with Nat Nixon and Pat O'Brien and we've lost James Lawless as well."
The Grasshoppers will resume their pre-season training next week for the players who are available and aren't in COVID isolation.
The Grasshoppers have been constantly knocking on the door of success in recent years having finished 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 4th and 3rd since 2015.
The HDFNL spotlight will shine on Colbinabbin on Saturday, April 2, when the Grasshoppers host Elmore under lights in a stand-alone match to open the 2022 season.
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