A lengthy friendship with a club stalwart has helped Portarlington land former Geelong West player Patrick Eastman for the 2026 season.
Eastman, who didn’t play this year after 175 games and 132 goals for the Giants and their forerunner Geelong West-St Peter’s, committed to the Demons in recent days.
First-year coach Sam Scott says they leveraged Eastman’s relationship with former Roosters teammate Will Foott to their advantage.
“He’s one of Will’s best mates, so Will told me to give him a bell, and I convinced him to come down to one training session just to see if he still had the spark for footy, and he hasn’t missed a session since,” Scott said.
“It’s turned out to be a really great get, getting him down there, and he knows a lot of the boys as well, which is really helpful.”
Eastman kicked 25 goals from 14 games in 2014, including a career-high six against St Albans and five against eventual premier Leopold in a performance that Scott witnessed first-hand.
“He’s so clean with the footy, I could see him as a midfielder or a halfback,” Scott said
“I think the best thing about him is his flexibility. He could plug any hole that we’ve got, which is great.”
Scott also confirmed the return of former junior Brandon Gardiner from GDFNL club Thomson, where he featured in the Tigers’ 2018 premiership, under recently-appointed Demons coaching director Reece Holwell, among his 164 senior games.
He’s played a lot of footy. He’s got really good experience, so his training standards are really high as well,” Scott said.
“To have him around the group is really good, too.”
Fresh from featuring in a premiership alongside former Leopold duo Jason Tom and Darcy Keast with North Cairns, Ben Deluca is also back at Sproat Street.
“Hearing that he was coming back, I was really excited; I’d watched a heap of his games,”
“He can fill in any hole as well. He’s a really versatile role player, and he’s absolutely loved down in Portarlington.”
The signings of Eastman, Gardiner and Deluca continue a fruitful first pre-season for Scott.
Also arriving alongside the Leopold great are Michael Herlihy (Swan Hill), Sam McDonald (Glenthompson-Dunkeld), and Nathan McHugh (Grovedale).
Brock Williamson is back from Leopold, and Tyler Cummins returns from two years at Grovedale.
The only confirmed departures are Connor Menadue, who has headed to Gordon in the Central Highlands league, and Caleb Kennedy (South Cairns).
X: @krockfootball
