Camperdown bolsters midfield, leadership ranks ahead of 2020 Hampden league season

Cam Spence has signed with Camperdown for the 2020 Hampden league season after a one-year stint with NEAFL outfit Redland.

The former interleague representative, who has returned to Victoria for family reasons, will be an assistant coach to Neville Swayn and Jack Williams.

The Magpies have also signed promising teenage ruckman Jack Hookway from Colac and District league club Simpson.

Swayn said Camperdown was thrilled to have Spence, who featured in its 2018 grand final side, back in the black and white stripes.

"He is an onballer but he can go forward as well," he said.

"He is an A-grader and he's a one-pointer as well which you've got to take into consideration now (when you're compiling your list).

"We were rapt to get him back and he's just a home-grown kid. He's still only fairly young but he's a natural leader."

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Swayn said it was pleasing in a difficult recruiting environment to land a player of Spence's calibre.

"He is someone who lives in town which, for us, is pretty hard to get now," he said.

"It's probably different for the Warrnambool sides. They can attract players with employment whereas it's a bit harder for us.

"You've got to get guys to come (to town) and sometimes you've got to work in with how much they can train (in Camperdown) whereas 'Spencey' is there before anyone at training so that's worth a lot."

Swayn said Hookway would ease the burden on Will Rowbottom in the ruck.

"He's a good, young kid. He's only 18 but he's tall and hopefully he'll develop into a ruckman for years and years to come for us," he said.

"We went with one ruckman all year (in 2019) and it's just too hard on 'Rowy' and this gives him a back-up now."

Camperdown is training Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights in the lead-up to Christmas as its strives to rebound after missing the finals last season.

"The boys have been running since October, they just took it on themselves and did a group thing," Swayn said.

"They are very keen and they're driving it which is good."

Camperdown has lost youngster Isaac Stephens to Alvie while PJ Manivong, who spent one season at the club, has also moved on.

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