The Millicent Football Netball Club is looking to return to the top of the premiership table next season and is refreshing its coaching panel.
After taking the Saints to runners-up in the first season of the Limestone Coast Football League, senior playing coach Tom Renzi has relinquished the role.
His successor will be assistant coach Jacob Carger who was the Millicent skipper when they won the last three flags of the Western Border Football League from 2021 to 2023.
Known as “Cargs”, he has also been captain of the Rendelsham Cricket Club.
With experience at SANFL level and as a Millicent underage coach, Saints president Joel Redman said Carger was well suited to be senior coach.
“Cargs brings a wealth of football knowledge gained through his time spent at Glenelg, West Adelaide and Brighton football clubs before joining us in 2021,” Redman said.
“He’s also a much-respected person within the playing group and the wider MFNC community.
“We wish Cargs all the best in his new role and look forward to him putting his own mark on our young group.”
Meanwhile, veteran player Nat Robbins will continue as the Under 14.5 football coach for 2025.
Robbins has proven himself as an elite junior coach with another junior premiership in 2024.
He has many personal accolades during his playing and coaching career, including League Best and Fairest awards, Club Best and Fairest awards, and both Senior and Reserves premierships.
Senior players Kade Varcoe and Josh Werchon will be the joint Under 17.5 football coaches for 2025.
Both have played in three senior premierships and have a string of representative honours.
They will be mentored by club identity Steve Duldig.
There will be other changes at McLaughlin Park over summer with seven premiership-winning Saints signalling they will be joining clubs in the Mid South Eastern Football League.
Redman said these clubs had seen how Millicent had become successful and they were looking to bring that winning culture into their own teams.
The main signing is Sam Willis who will be joint assistant coach along with newcomer Logan Mitchell at Tantanoola.
They will support Jack Dawe who has coached the Tigers for the past two seasons.
Jaxon Cushion is returning to his home club while Ty Lang and Jacob Todd are also departing Millicent for Tigerland.
Past players Jordan Gould and Roy Osborne are also returning after working interstate while Justin de Jong is resuming after a break from football.
Tantanoola president Matt Cytrowski said the recruits and returning players would provide the Tigers with much greater depth.
“Our aim is to make the finals in 2025 and see what happens from there,” Cytrowski said.
“We had a bad run this last season with injuries to coach Jack Dawe and Ellis Cushion, Marc Roberts, Cameron Saint and Hayden Brown.”
Elsewhere in the Mid South Eastern Football League, Mount Burr has reappointed Clint Gallio as coach and welcomed Jed Haines from Millicent.
A club spokesperson said he will provide the Mozzies with some flexibility being able to play multiple positions.
“He is a senior premiership player who has great pace and is prepared to work hard to make his team better,” the spokesperson said.
Hatherleigh has announced the return of Kade and Frazer Bradley after a successful five-year stint with Millicent.
The Bradley brothers began their junior football journey with the Eagles, where they collectively celebrated two junior colts’ premierships, one senior colts’ premiership, and numerous accolades.
During Kade’s time at Millicent, he achieved three A grade premierships, was the 2022 club runner-up for best and fairest, served as vice captain in 2024, and earned multiple selections in the Western Border Team of the Year and Interleague teams as well as representing the South East in the SA Country Championships.
Frazer also secured three A grade premierships and was recognised as the U18s league best and fairest, three-time league leading goal kicker, and made several senior interleague selections, as well as representing the South East in the SA Country Championships and representing the SA state team.
The Eagles have also secured the services of Dion Cowie who has lived in West Australia for over a decade.
He played junior football at North Gambier before moving to East Gambier where he played A grade from 2009 to 2012.
“Cowie is a reliable midfielder, a handy goal sneak and is also an experienced leader who is looking forward to being a part of the great club culture at Hatherleigh and helping lead and develop the younger talent,” the club said on social media.
Glencoe has recruited ruckman Carl Slape from East Gambier and announced the return of Eddie Trupp to be the playing assistant coach.
Trupp played all of his junior football at Glencoe, making his A Grade debut in 2013 and playing 48 games for the Murphies before leaving the area in 2016.
Since then, Trupp has travelled extensively and played in Darwin, Tasmania and London.
