Jahd Anderson will not return to the Magpies in the upcoming HFNL season.
CAMPERDOWN’S productive off-season has suffered a body blow with star defender Jahd Anderson leaving the club.
Anderson, the league’s rising star award winner last year, is seeking a move to Geelong Football League side Geelong West-St Peters.
The athletic Anderson, who represented the Hampden league at under 18 level, was a revelation in defence for the Magpies last season.
Anderson, a second-year engineering student at the Gordon Institute of Tafe in Geelong, had travelled each week from his base in Geelong to Camperdown last season.
Coach Bernard Moloney said he could understand Anderson’s reasons for wanting to play closer to home as his studies increased.
“It’s disappointing,” Moloney said.
“But he’s got to do whatever he thinks is best for his footy.”
He said the Magpies would miss Anderson.
“I admire any kid who commits to travelling back from work or study. It’s a big commitment what he did last year,” Moloney said.
“We were hoping to get one more year out of him and give him an opportunity to play in the midfield and continue his development.”
Anderson, a state junior triple jump, sprinting and cycling champion, only took up footy when he was 17 and made his senior debut with Camperdown in 2011, before commanding a regular senior spot as a 19-year-old last year.
The Magpies are also set to lose former premiership player James Gellie, who is seeking a clearance to Warrnambool and District league club Kolora-Noorat.
Gellie, a development coach with TAC Cup side Geelong Falcons, had returned to Camperdown last year after a stint coaching Cobden.
He managed just six games with the Magpies in between his Falcons commitments.
Gellie said he didn’t have enough time for the training levels required to play Hampden league football.
He said his Falcons commitments meant he would be available for eight matches with the Power this season.
Moloney said Gellie’s leadership role at Camperdown would be filled by Colac recruit Dan Casey and several players, including gun midfielder Sam Chapman.
In other clearance developments, highly-regarded teenager Sam Moloney is on the move from Warrnambool, where he played 10 senior games after making his debut in round five last year.
He is seeking a clearance to Colac and District club Apollo Bay.
Tough Koroit midfielder Dave Pullen is also looking for a change of scenery, seeking a clearance to Warrnambool and District league club Allansford.
n Read more on your club’s recruits in Football Netball 2013, The Standard’s special season guide inserted in today’s issue.
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