2 weeks Ago By Luke West
AFTER a successful stint at Kerang that yielded two Central Murray league premierships gun midfielder Sam Heavyside is headed home to Strathfieldsaye. or signup to continue reading Heavyside played his junior football at Strathfieldsaye and is a dual senior premiership player with the Storm where the 30-year-old will next season provide some added midfield experience and class to this year's Bendigo league preliminary finalist. Heavyside had been weighing up his 2025 future between the Storm and Heathcote District league club Mount Pleasant, which has just appointed his Kerang premiership team-mate "I'm good mates with Josh who has the co-coaching role at Mounts and that was something to consider, but I'm really happy to be heading back home to the Storm," Heavyside said on Thursday.
Heavyside has played the past four seasons with Kerang, winning premierships in 2022 and 2023 before the Blues were denied a Central Murray three-peat last month when beaten by Nyah Nyah West United in the grand final. Prior to his move to Kerang Heavyside was part of the Storm's 2017 and 2019 premiership teams. He also played in Strathfieldsaye's 2018 grand final team that was beaten by Eaglehawk.
Heavyside's footballing resume also includes Bendigo Pioneers' best and fairest in 2011, while he also has VFL experience with both Essendon and the Bendigo Gold, which wound up 10 years ago. "I'm looking forward to getting back into the Bendigo league next season and it will be a different Strathfieldsaye side to last time I was there," Heavyside said. "It's a very young and exciting group to get involved with next year.
I watched them play a couple of finals this year and the young players are fit and quick. "Going home at this stage of my career feels like it's the right decision to be able to help develop a few of those younger boys." Strathfieldsaye coach Luke Freeman says the experience Heavyside will provide his midfield group next season will be invaluable.
"It was obviously a big decision for Sam to make on where to play his footy next year and we couldn't be happier that he is coming home," Freeman said. "He has got enormous experience behind him, but he still has a lot to give as well and a lot to teach our young boys. "He's a leader out on the field and we're absolutely stoked to have him back.
.. our blokes will all certainly look up to him.
" Heavyside is the second returning midfielder for the Storm next season, with fellow on-baller Jye Formosa also headed back to Tannery Lane. Formosa has spent the previous two years playing with Longwood in the Kyabram District league. Formosa played 25 senior games for the Storm across the 2021 and 2022 seasons before his move to Longwood.
For the second season in a row the Storm bowed out of the premiership race this year when beaten by Sandhurst in the preliminary final. The Storm led the preliminary final by 15 points, but were over-run by the Dragons, who kicked four goals to none against the breeze in the final term to win by 10 points, before going on to beat Gisborne in the grand final the following week. Cooper Jones.
Dermott Bell. Jack Bell. Tessa Skipper.
Jess Mangan. Siarne Cass. Ashlee Barbetti.
Chelsea Crapper. Ciarah McDermott. Following a raft of new recruits, South Bendigo has confirmed the re-signing of Steven Stroobants.
Experienced forward Stroobants co-coached the Bloods this year alongside Isaiah Miller. Despite the Bloods winning just four games and finishing seventh on the ladder, Stroobants was one of the competition's top goalkickers, booting 52. Only Sandhurst's Fergus Greene (83) and the Gisborne duo of Pat McKenna (63) and Harry Luxmoore (59) kicked more goals than Stroobants this year.
Stroobants' tally of 52 goals included a season high of 10 against Maryborough in round 15, while he finished runner-up to ball magnet midfielder Brody Haddow in the best and fairest. It will be very much a new-look - and vastly improved - South Bendigo side that takes to the field in the Bendigo league next year with the Bloods having been active on the recruiting front under new co-coaches Jack Fallon and Troy Coates. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team.
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