Star goal shooter Carley Thomas has announced she will be joining the Seagulls.

A multiple premiership player at Koroit, Thomas did not play this season because she is pregnant with her third child. She is due to give birth in two weeks.

Thomas' husband Ed is a committee member at Port Fairy and the couple and their two children, Archie, 5, and Hugo, 3, live in the town.

It is the settled family life that has led to Thomas becoming a Seagull.

“We moved over to live in Port Fairy last year and Ed joined the committee this year,” Thomas said.

“He really enjoyed being involved in the club and so did the kids.

“Living in the town we feel part of the community so playing netball here is an extension of that.”

Thomas was captain of Koroit’s last Hampden league A grade premiership in 2014 and she leaves the club on good terms.

Thomas has been in touch with her former teammates and the Saints 2016 coach Jacqui Bowman.

“I rang Jacqui and Stacey O’Sullivan last week to tell them I was going to Port Fairy,” Thomas said.

“I wanted to talk to them about it before the news got out, I have a lot of respect for both of them so I wanted to do it the right way.

“I texted the other girls as well and everyone has been great about it.”

Port Fairy missed the finals in 2015, finishing in eighth position with six wins.

The last time the Seagulls played finals was in 2013 under the coaching of Emma Cust, who has just signed on to coach Warrnambool.

Port Fairy’s 2015 coach Kellie Sommerville, her sister Emma and star goal defence Sarah Moroney will all be absent from the Seagulls’ line-up in 2016.

Recruiting Thomas is a big step in the Seagulls’ moves to replenish their playing stocks. 

Thomas said she was looking forward to the new phase in her netball career.

“I do enjoy the social side of netball but I am also very competitive once I get out on court,” Thomas said.

“I am excited about taking on a new challenge, I have played against a lot of the Port Fairy girls over the years so it will be good to be on the same team, there are some great players there.”

Port Fairy has never won an A grade netball premiership, making Thomas an even more valuable asset given her vast finals experience.