FOUR-TIME Koroit premiership player Levi Nagorcka says a desire to challenge himself at a higher level fuelled his decision to leave the Saints.
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Nagorcka, 24, has signed with Geelong league club St Joseph’s for the 2019 season.
It comes after he spent a chunk of his pre-season training with VFL club Werribee.
The midfielder-forward played in four of the Saints’ five-in-a-row premiership run between 2014 and 2018.
“It was pretty hard to leave. Once I signed (with St Joseph’s) I felt weird leaving because I have been there since I was nine,” he said.
“To leave a club going so well was very hard, they’re probably going to be in the running for it again this year. It wasn’t easy.”
Nagorcka feels the time is right to test himself in the GFL, having overcome a persistent shoulder injury.
Surgery robbed him of the entire 2017 Hampden league season, including a flag.
“I haven’t played many games over the past four years,” he said.
“It is (my shoulder) is 100 per cent now.
“Since my last surgery I haven’t had any hiccups so I am very happy.”
Nagorcka’s departure is the latest in a busy off-season for Koroit.
The Saints have lost eight-time premiership player Ben Goodall (retired), Taylor Mulraney (South Barwon), Tim McIntyre (Barwon Heads), Hamish Gurry (South Warrnambool), Todd McLean (Merrivale) and Blair McCutcheon (Redland) and Josh Chatfield (Ballarat City).
But the Chris McLaren-coached side has welcomed home Sam Dobson (Geelong VFL), Ben Dobson (St Mary’s) and James Gow (Geelong VFL).
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