Sport
27 March, 2026
VAFA pair join Woodies
THE IAN Aitken football factory continues to bring dividends for Inglewood footy club.
The VFL premiership player and vastly experienced coach, who is assistant coach at the Woodies this year, produced two more players last Saturday who will join this year’s list.
Ben Morgan and Beppe Daly played VAFA Under 19s last season and came to Inglewood through their connections with Aitken.
The Old Carey Grammarians pair played in last Saturday’s practice match against Hepburn and impressed coach Jackson Hood.
He was also impressed with Melbourne-based Aitken’s contacts, with more than half a dozen players travelling from the city after signing with Inglewood.
“He knows a lot of people, that man,” Hood said.
New players Charlie Ingham, a former best-and-fairest winner who has returned to the Blues this season, was outstanding against Hepburn, Hood said, while Curtis Day, another Aitken find, starred across half-back.
Newbridge played Central Highlands side Carngham Linton at Riverside Oval on Saturday, with many key players and recruits missing.
Among them was defender Jon Coe, one of the biggest signings in the Loddon Valley league this season, who will make his debut for the Maroons this Saturday against Natte Bealiba from the Maryborough Castlemaine league.
Newbridge fielded a young midfield, which coach Jayden Cordy said struggled initially against an experienced Saints outfit but fought back to even the contest later in the game.
Mt Pleasant recruit Baxter Ash injured his elbow in the third quarter and may miss this week’s practice game but will be fit for round one.
Wedderburn took on Bridgewater on Saturday, and Redbacks coach Tom Metherell said: “We felt like we controlled most of the game, but it was a really good hit out for a pre-season game, being the first one.
“I thought the best thing was that all the things we have been working on during the summer came to the fore, and you could see those improvements in our game.”
Metherell said the work done on structures and set plays had paid off.
“We really worked on the communication with our players a lot more over the summer – being better at that so they know their role a bit better.”
The Redbacks face Metherell’s old side, North Bendigo, this week in their last practice match ahead of the season start on April 11.
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