GFNL: AT SELECTION – OPENING ROUND
Leopold and St Joseph’s will both unveil numerous recruits and under-18 graduates when they do battle to open the 2026 GFNL season at Lorne’s Stribling Reserve.
The Polders and Joeys have experienced a significant loss of talent since the 2025 season ended.
Leopold has farewelled nine players who featured across its 2023-24 premierships, while half of St Joseph’s grand final 22 from last year will play elsewhere in 2026.
Rookie Lions coach Sam Hughes has eight players pulling on the green and gold for the first time at senior level, headlined by former Lara star Darby Henderson.
Newcomers to Memorial Park getting a chance to impress early are Adam Enever (Tatura), Ziggy Lee (Redan), Ethan Skene (North Cairns) and Archie Eichler (Buninyong), while former Leopold junior Charlie Gardiner has returned from a season at St Mary’s and will also line up.
Hughes has handed senior debuts to under-18 products Solomon Harvey and Nick Maultby.
However, Hughes couldn’t consider Geelong VFL-listed South Warrnambool recruit Jed Henderson.
At Drew Oval, Cats-listed forward Jack Jovanovic (Queanbeyan) and returning juniors Francesco Posterino (Newtown & Chilwell) and Mal White (North Ballarat) will play their first senior matches for St Joseph’s.
Former under-18s Riley Aquilina, Tosh Lennon, Eamon Hill and Harry Muir have also been named.
Big man Eddy McCoy is still recovering from an off-season injury and couldn’t be considered.
“With a few going out of the 2 o’clock side from last year, it presents a big opportunity for those players… on that fringe to show what they’ve got,” first-year co-coach James Gow told K rock’s Beyond the Boundary Podcast.
“With our list last year, we were relatively healthy and an obviously strong list.
“But it’s exciting to see these guys, who were probably starved of opportunity in a way last year, get their opportunity this year.
“It’s been really good to see over the pre-season. They’ve been putting their hand up and coming to train with a really good attitude.
“Some of the ball movement is quite different compared to last year over our practice matches, which is really exciting to see.”
X: @krockfootball
