Inverleigh will welcome back star former playing coach Adam Donohue for the 2026 season.
Donohue spent 2025 with Colac and District club South Colac under former Hawks teammate Brad Surkitt, where he won the club’s best-and-fairest and finished tied for third in the league best-and-fairest, the Jack Mahoney Medal.
The 36-year-old, who spent two years on Geelong’s list in 2008-09 without playing a game, first joined the Hawks in 2019.
He held the coaching role at Inverleigh from his arrival from Geelong Amateur in 2019 until the middle of 2023 before handing the reins to assistant Chris Moore, who guided the Hawks to their first senior flag since coming out of recess in 2002.
Inverleigh has re-signed the majority of its list, with only a question mark over Guy O’Keefe after he suffered a serious leg injury in the win over eventual premier North Geelong in Round 14.
Meanwhile, beaten semi-finalists Belmont Lions have added some handy experience with the signing of Steve Gunter and Seb Relouw.
The duo, who played alongside Lions co-coach Brent Vermeulen at GFNL club St Albans, have been training with the Lions while playing with Pyramid Hill in the Loddon Valley league.
And Corio has added Cooper Shoebridge from Northern league club West Preston-Lakeside.
A midfielder, Shoebridge, did a pre-season with the VFL club Footscray.
X: @krockfootball
