Geelong Football League club Leopold has increased its already strong Hampden league contingent as it searches for premiership success.
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Terang Mortlake duo Alex Moloney and Tom Smith and former Hamilton Kangaroos player Andrew Pepper will all line up for Leopold this season.
Moloney and Smith were both part of the Bloods 2015 preliminary final team while Pepper last played for the Kangaroos in 2014. Last season Pepper played 14 games for Werribee in the Victoria Development League and two for Geelong West St Peters in the GFL.
They will join a host of former south-west players already at Leopold including key defender Anthony Chirnside (Warrnambool), onballer Kevin Bourke (Warrnambool), half back Nick Bourke (Kolora-Noorat), versatile tall Darcy Keast (North Warrnambool Eagles) and key forward Lucas Boyd (Warrnambool).
Leopold missed the finals by one game in 2015, losing by five points to eventual premier St Joseph’s in the last round. Since joining the GFL in 1992, Leopold has yet to win a flag, a grand final appearance in 2014 the closest it has come. Its last premiership was in the Bellarine league back in 1990.
Smith, who started his career at Warrnambool before crossing to Terang Mortlake, played 18 games for the Bloods last season.
He has moved to Geelong to pursue his other sporting passion, cricket. A talented fast bowler, Smith is playing in the Geelong first XI in Victoria Premier Cricket.
Smith said he is looking forward to combining the two sports.
“I want to be able to do a full pre-season for cricket so the best way to do that is to be living in Geelong,” Smith said.
“Playing footy at Leopold will be good, it will be a big challenge. The GFL is obviously a step up so I will try and play good footy and see how I go. There are a lot of familiar faces from back home at Leopold so that makes it easier to settle in.”
While Smith will leave a hole in the Bloods onball and forward stocks, the loss of Moloney will make an impact on the big man department. Moloney established himself as a versatile key position player and ruckman for Terang Mortlake last season, playing all 21 games.
The loss of Moloney comes on the back of number one ruckman and Maskell Medal runner-up Stephen Staunton being absent for 2016 through overseas travel.
Utility player Jordan Payne is also on the move with a clearance in to transfer to Central Highlands league club Bungaree. Payne played 10 senior games for Terang Mortlake in 2015
