BEYOND THE BOUNDARY – OCTOBER 30 – FEATURING CORIO CO-COACH ADAM BELL
A relationship formed during Rhyce Prismall’s playing days with GFNL club Lara has helped Werribee Centrals secure the services of Cats’ co-captain Aaron Stone.
Prismall played with Lara when Stone’s dad, club great Shayne, was midfield coach, while also playing alongside brother Jordan at senior level.
Stone joins returning Centurion Connor Linehan-Cunningham in making the move to Galvin Park from the Snakepit.
“I’d always check it and see how the boys were going,” Prismall said. “We played Lara in a practice match that I saw him and Connor Linehan-Cunningham destroy us.
“But, it wasn’t until we got Conor, and he said that Aaron was open to a move (that we made an approach).
“He’s very loyal to Lara, and I didn’t put pressure on him and just said, ‘Look, if you’re open to a chat, we’d be more happy to accommodate. But, if you’re happy there, you stay there’.
“He took a long time to make a decision because he’s been there since he was eight years old, and he didn’t want to upset anyone.
“But I think he just thought with his age and the bracket that he’s in, the bracket that we’re in, he thought it’d be a nice move, and hopefully we can all benefit from it.”
A two-time winner of the Shaun Ballans Medal as Lara’s best-and-fairest, Stone played 107 games after making his debut as a 16-year-old in 2016.
After a foot injury ruled Stone out of the second half of the 2024 season, he returned this year to make 13 appearances, averaging 16.9 disposals, 3.5 clearances, 3.4 marks, and 2.8 inside 50s per game.
“We’re really happy that he’s chosen us to try and get us that next step,” Prismall said.
“He’s a very dynamic player.
“And I think teams have always worried a bit about our speed, and we’re only gonna get quicker adding someone like him, and his skills and his work ethic are a bonus.”
Stone is the fifth confirmed signing by Centrals, who missed the finals by two-and-a-half games despite owning the competition’s fourth-best percentage and points-for record.
Linehan-Cunningham returns after four seasons at Lara, with the Centurions also adding Werribee Districts duo Darcy Phillips and Max Ryan, and Kristian Adorno from Point Cook.
Meanwhile, Corio has added key forward David Waldron from VAFA Premier B club Old Ivanhoe.
After playing the first half of the season in the reserves, Waldron kicked 19 goals from eight games to help Old Ivanhoe to a preliminary final.
The 21-year-old represented Ivanhoe Grammar’s 1st XVIII in the Associated Grammar Schools (AGS) competition.
X: @krockfootball
