With only one round of Goulburn Valley League action left before finals, it is fair to say recruiting season has well and truly started.
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Such is the climate of modern football, if you want to improve your side from year-to-year, you have to head to the meat market and try and lure a few delicious hunks of wagyu.
Kyabram is a genuine outlier in this regard; the Bombers added class such as Billy Burstin, Reid Crowe and Jake Reeves, but have not relied on these players to fuel yet another dominant season.
The other six teams in finals calculations all recruited well and if you think your side can stand still in the GVL, you are probably going backwards.
So today the good folk at Outside The Box bring you the diagnosis of this year's recruiting class, assessing which player has made the biggest impact at their new club.
1. Nick Fothergill (Tatura)
Fothergill headed from Numurkah to Tatura Park and his game has jumped to another level in doing so. A hard-earned pre-season VFL call-up threatened to derail his season, but he has been a fixture in the Bulldogs' on-ball brigade and has torn game to pieces with scintillating drive through the midfield. Goal-kicking midfielders are as rare as hen's teeth, but the man they call 'Foz' has slotted 31 goals in 16 games in one of the more dominant seasons in recent memory. Should start working on his neck muscles because they could easily be getting a workout on Morrison Medal night.
2. Will Martiniello (Benalla)
Speaking of Morrisons, the 2014 winner returned to Benalla this season from Maribyrnong Park and has been huge in keeping the Saints in post-season contention. He has missed his club's best just three times in 14 games, been named best-on four times, and is exactly what a young side needs; a gutsy ball-winner with a cool head that has the ability to steady a side when it is asked serious questions.Â
3. Zac Keogh (Seymour)
Keogh fell into the Lions' lap and completed what could easily be seen as the league's best midfield group. The 2017 Reynolds Medallist - the Essendon District Football League best-and-fairest - joined the side from Maribyrnong Park before its round four game and has quickly built a reputation as a midfield bull in a china shop, smashing through packs and helping the Lions win the battle in the centre. Ensuring Keogh returns to lead the side into the future is a must for Seymour.
4. Peter Faulks (Echuca)
Having played one game with the Murray Bombers last season before returning full-time to VFL club Williamstown, the league knew what it was in for when Faulks committed to Echuca for the new season. Faulks patrols the air in the defensive 50 and has had a big hand in his side's defensive improvement this season, conceding just 52.1 points per game compared with last year's 69.9. If Echuca is to shut down Kyabram's forwards in a potential grand final, this man will have a lot to do with it.
5. Adam Giobbi (Euroa)
Excelling at both ends of the ground, Giobbi's 34 goals in 17 games stand out, but when you consider he has played in the backline in multiple games that record is even more impressive. Has seven bags of at least three goals and has seriously added a forward-line punch for a Magpie line-up desperately crying out for one. Was sent back last weekend to tackle an unstoppable Brad Ryan, showing Euroa coaches clearly recognise his potential to star at either end.
6. Jordan O'Dwyer (Tatura)
As honest as the day is long, O'Dwyer defines consistency and has had a big year in the Dogs' backline. The former Numurkah man was another Blue to head to Tatura, and helped the side consolidate its depth in a big way. His run out of the back half has been a highlight and is one to keep an eye on moving forward.
7. James Lawton (Mansfield)
Mansfield has only won six games this season and yet power forward James Lawton has bagged 46 goals. His clearance dispute with Corowa-Rutherglen a thing of the past, Lawton has filled a huge hole for the Eagles and become a genuine star up forward, straightening the side up in a big way. Worth the wait.
8. Kier Bol (Seymour)
A bit of a bolter, Seymour's Kier Bol has jumped over from Western Region Football League side Wyndhamvale and shown immense talent. Like Faulks, he embraces an air traffic control position and shoots down opposition attacks for fun. Has not missed a game and not too many goals have been kicked on the imposing specimen this season.
9. Quade Johnstone (Shepparton Swans)
The man with the biggest biceps in the Goulburn Valley is a midfield machine and while his Swans have not had a great deal of success this season, Johnstone certainly has. Has been named the Swans' best-on-ground five times and has been huge in the side's wins and draw against Seymour. A huge leader for the young Swans after returning from South Bendigo.
10. Tom Boyd (Shepparton)
Shepparton's season is about as underrated as it gets; it lost two top 10 competition players in Luke Smith and Nik Rokahr and has relied on young talents as its depth, and still sits third on the ladder with 11 wins. A big part of that has been the addition of Boyd, who is the Bears' focal point up forward along with Anthony Andronaco. A young talent the Bears would be wise to keep around.
Senior journalist