Winchelsea will have a somewhat new-look forward line in 2027 following the departure of GDFNL team of the year member Cam Primmer.
The league-leading goalkicker, who finished with 86 goals, including five in the Blues’ first finals campaign in over a decade, is set to join Central Murray club Kerang.
Winchelsea coach Ben Moloney confirmed Primmer’s move, the second high-profile loss after fellow team of the year selection Indi Parish joined Natte Bealiba in the Maryborough Castlemaine District League.
However, with the arrival of Thomson veteran Paul Davis, Jake Whybrow (Barwon Heads) and Jacob Talarico (Ocean Grove), Moloney is confident the Blues won’t lack firepower.
“The forward structure that we tried to implement this year was based around a lot of pressure and movement, and that’s something that I think, with what we’ve brought in, will create that,” he said.
“You know, our mosquito fleet, as we called them, certainly got in the right places and did the work, but we’ll be educating them and getting them on the right path with their leading patterns of getting in and getting out.
“We’ve got Grant Creeley, who has come on board as an assistant, who will most likely take the forwards.
“He’s an assistant coach in a premiership year when I was at (St) Mary’s, so his experience and knowledge will be great for our group, to emphasise our system and structures up in the front half of the ground.”
Despite turning 40, Davis was one of the fittest players in the GDFNL in 2026, and Moloney believes his experience will benefit a youthful Winchelsea squad.
“Every year we’re recruiting 18-, 19-, 20-year-olds because we don’t have that junior development and junior depth, like other clubs,” Moloney said.
“So, to have someone like him come in and hopefully guide our younger brigade will be really good for them and good for us.
“In his line of work as well, he’s seen things in life where missing a kick on game day or missing a set shot isn’t a big deal.
“I think aligning those younger guys, even our older guys, just to support them and really push us to take that next step, and hopefully get some hands on some silverware at some point.”
Davis’s arrival takes some of the pressure off Jordan Gould to rush his return from a syndesmosis injury suffered in the preliminary final loss.
“Jordie’s a competitive bugger, and he’s keen to get back in as soon as he can,” Moloney said.
“But you know, for someone who’s as important as him, we’ll certainly give him the time to get right, and he’s rehabbed it really well.
“He did try and go out and play in that third when he did it, but he could hardly move.
“And then in the end, we had to just drag him off the ground because his defender was able to run off too easily,
“But he probably didn’t get the accolades that he deserved in terms of goals because Prim probably ended up with the choccies most of the time.”
Winchelsea may also be without ruck Jack Terrill at times in 2027 after earning a training invite to VFL club Werribee.
“I touched base with Geelong just to see if there was an opportunity for Jack to get some development through them, and they’re stacked with ruckmen,” Moloney said.
“I reached out to Werribee and (football boss) Kyle Hartigan said, ‘Look, get him down’.
“And their ruck stocks are pretty light on with their main man (Ajang Kuol mun) having surgery, and I think they’ve lost one of their other ruckmen.”
Even if Terrill doesn’t earn a list spot at Werribee, Moloney views the experience as invaluable for the former high-level basketballer.
“Jack’s a workhorse; a bit of a Clydesdale where he just puts the work in,” Moloney said.
“He knows what it takes to test it with the best.
“And from what he did at the start of the year to the end, he was one of our most important players.
“If we didn’t have Jack, we’re probably not getting the midfield supply that we were getting, and it impacts our forward 50 setup.
“He takes on board information really well and adapts and adjusts just pretty quick.
“I think it’ll be exciting for him.”
Official pre-season training commences in December.
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