PODCAST: BEYOND THE BOUNDARY – SPECIAL EDITION
Leopold has won the race for the prize signature of star Lara midfielder Darby Henderson.
The former Williamstown VFL player put pen to paper with the Lions on Wednesday night, 48 hours after the Cats decided to place their senior and reserves teams into recess for the 2026 season.
It is believed the 26-year-old was the target of significant interest across the region as speculation about Lara’s future mounted post-Christmas.
Henderson, who claimed the Shaun Ballans Medal as the Cats’ best-and-fairest, averaged a GFNL-best 45.3 disposals a game, including a 60-disposal performance in the Round 16 loss to St Joseph’s.
“A prolific ball-winner, his ability to accumulate the footy, drive standards around stoppages, and impact games through the middle whilst also hitting the scoreboard makes him one of the competition’s most influential players,” the Lions said on Facebook.
“He also brings strong leadership and professionalism shaped by years in a high-performance VFL environment.”
His arrival is a boost for Leopold, which has lost several key players in the off-season.
Reigning league-leading goalkicker Connor Giddings, high-flying defender Harris Jennings, and ruck Tylar Watts have returned to their home club, Portland.
2024 grand final best-on-ground Brock Williamson has headed back to Portarlington, and 2023 grand final best-on-ground Logan Wagener will have another stint at Newcomb, where he’ll be joined by Luke Justin and Andrew Pepper.
Midfielder Tom Feely will spend 2026 with junior club Hamilton, while reliable defender Trent Thompson has been lured to Queenscliff.
However, the Lions are excited by the addition of Jed Henderson from South Warrnambool, who is fighting for a spot on Geelong’s VFL list.
X: @krockfootball
