A friendship struck up with a former Geelong VFL teammate will see Osca Riccardi head across the Nullarbor for a pre-season with a WAFL club.
The former Cats rookie, who stepped away from the VFL program early in the season before playing in a premiership under dad Peter at GDFNL club North Geelong, has told K rock Football he will join Peel Thunder for its pre-season.
Riccardi says Thunder premiership player Tay Wyburd, who has returned to the west after a year spent playing between Geelong and Bellarine club Ocean Grove, first raised the prospect of trying his hand in the WAFL.
“It was about March, he went back home, and his coach said, ‘Is there anyone looking to move?'” Riccardi said.
“He was telling that to me, and I said, ‘Mate, if you want to put my name forward, you may as well do it’.
“Obviously, I had all this year, and what happened and moving to North Geelong, and everything didn’t go as we wanted with Geelong.
“But, I couldn’t be more happy with the move to North Geelong winning the flag.
“I just got a text from (Peel Thunder) general manager, Sam Skinner, probably a week after the grand final.
“So I thought I’d be silly not to take an opportunity like this, especially while I’m young, and give it my all.”
After spending a year on the Cats’ AFL list in 2023, Riccardi, who turned 21 in August, still has a desire to see if he is good enough to play at the highest level.
“I was lucky enough to be on the list and be around some of the greatest players of all time; (Patrick) Dangerfield and Jeremy Cameron,” he said.
“It still gives me hope that I can play at the highest levels; that I can make it.
“If I ever get another opportunity to get back to a level like that, I’ll take it any day of the week.
“Opening up a new experience for me over there, and a new league, and bigger grounds, which will suit me, hopefully, I can get across, fit myself in pretty well and prove to a few people that I’m still driven enough and on board enough to have another look at this.”
Riccardi will join the Thunder for the start of pre-season training in mid-November.
Meanwhile, North Geelong will be without premiership player Bryce Brockenshire in 2026, who will spend the year travelling Australia.
Meanwhile, Anakie has announced the return of former ruck Ajang Kuol mun for “a minimum of four games” in 2026.
Kuol mun burst onto the scene in 2023, earning a Geelong VFL list spot the following year and making five appearances with the Cats.
He moved to VFL rival Port Melbourne in 2025, playing every game at the Borough and making two appearances for Northern League club West Preston-Lakeside.
X: @krockfootball
