A friendship spanning nearly 25 years has helped the region’s newest football club land an experienced head for its debut season.
Bellarine newcomer Surf Coast has signed one-time Ocean Grove best-and-fairest Luke Cartelli, among two signings announced late last week.
36-year-old Cartelli is a good mate of Suns coach Trent Rogers – a relationship dating back to when they commenced Year 7 at Essendon Keilor College.
“When he signed to be senior coach there, I thought, ‘Oh, it’d be a great opportunity to play under him.
“(We’re) good mates from school, he’s a great man, he’s a great communicator, and he’s a pretty switched-on type of guy.
“He’ll be very, very good for that club, and I couldn’t think of a better person to coach the new club.”
Cartelli, who has VFL experience with Williamstown and Coburg to his name, spent two seasons with the Grubbers.
He won their best-and-fairest in 2018, the same year he was named in the Bellarine Team of the Year.
Following the pause for COVID in 2020, Cartelli returned to Essendon and District club Keilor for two seasons before retiring.
Importantly, his absence from the game means he will be a one-point player for the Suns.
Now living in Point Lonsdale and running his electrician business, Arct Electrical, Cartelli is excited about being part of a fledgling club’s first venture into senior football.
“I believe I can still have a good impact and help out the club and the young guys coming through to senior footy,” he said.
“I’m putting in the work at the moment, so I’m really looking forward to it.
“And Trent actually runs Body Fit Training down at Torquay, so he’ll be putting some work into me in the next few weeks, that’s for sure.
“It’ll be a good challenge. I know Jay (Williams – president) and Brodie (Marston – football manager) are doing a great job behind the scenes to get the club moving forward.”
Surf Coast, which announced the signing of former North Melbourne and Geelong player Aaron Black earlier this year, also unveiled ex-Barwon Heads player Mitch Gaunt.
Gaunt, who was among the Seagulls’ best in their 2018 grand final loss to Modewarre, has spent the past five years with Colac and District club Irrewarra-Beeac.
Before joining Barwon Heads, he played with Western league club St Albans and Ruperstwood, representing the Riddell District league on three occasions.
Also joining the Suns is former Geelong West (GFNL) player Zac Warne.
He played four senior games with the Giants in 2022 before spending the past two seasons with Lake Boga in the Central Murray League.
X: @krockfootball
