Eagles Recruiting for 2022

Sadly Jacob wouldn't have got too much real footy in the past season with the lack of VFL games, maybe some scratch matches but hard to make a case for an AFL debut in those.

Posted on Talkingfootysa that we have signed connor ballenden

MichaelScott wrote:Posted on Talkingfootysa that we have signed connor ballenden

Think there could be some announcements today......been waiting a week for this to happen.

Huge battle between Eagles and Tigers for Ballenden, Panthers were eliminated early.
Will be a very handy forward addition.

wimpy wrote:

MichaelScott wrote:Posted on Talkingfootysa that we have signed connor ballenden

Think there could be some announcements today......been waiting a week for this to happen.

Huge battle between Eagles and Tigers for Ballenden, Panthers were eliminated early.
Will be a very handy forward addition.

I couldn’t find anything on talking footy about this announcement !
I hope we’ve signed him

goddy11 wrote:

Mickyj wrote:

wimpy wrote:

MichaelScott wrote:Posted on Talkingfootysa that we have signed connor ballenden

Think there could be some announcements today......been waiting a week for this to happen.

Huge battle between Eagles and Tigers for Ballenden, Panthers were eliminated early.
Will be a very handy forward addition.

I couldn’t find anything on talking footy about this announcement !
I hope we’ve signed him

Mentioned by Bayman in the WWT new thread

Doh I missed that yesterday and my mail Bayman knows someone at the Eagles

Only expecting three signings to be announced today - Ballenden, Allmond and Duval.
Pre-season training does not commence until December 13.
SANFL enforced a 10 week break.

The Barton wrote:Only expecting three signings to be announced today - Ballenden, Allmond and Duval.
Pre-season training does not commence until December 13.
SANFL enforced a 10 week break.

Does it seem strange to anyone else that a north fan wedgie on SA footy and Bayman on talking footy know what’s going on with our club before we all do

Mickyj wrote:

The Barton wrote:Only expecting three signings to be announced today - Ballenden, Allmond and Duval.
Pre-season training does not commence until December 13.
SANFL enforced a 10 week break.

Does it seem strange to anyone else that a north fan wedgie on SA footy and Bayman on talking footy know what’s going on with our club before we all do

I think you"ll find quite a few supporters know what's going on but want to do the honourable thing and let the club make the announcements. Surely they are entitled to handle it the way they want to, us supporters can not complain after what the club has achieved over the last two years.

I don't think "wedgie" mentioned Allmond was going to the Eagles, just that he had left N.A. It was assumed he is coming to the Eagles.

wimpy wrote:

Mickyj wrote:

The Barton wrote:Only expecting three signings to be announced today - Ballenden, Allmond and Duval.
Pre-season training does not commence until December 13.
SANFL enforced a 10 week break.

Does it seem strange to anyone else that a north fan wedgie on SA footy and Bayman on talking footy know what’s going on with our club before we all do

I think you"ll find quite a few supporters know what's going on but want to do the honourable thing and let the club make the announcements. Surely they are entitled to handle it the way they want to, us supporters can not complain after what the club has achieved over the last two years.

I don't think "wedgie" mentioned Allmond was going to the Eagles, just that he had left N.A. It was assumed he is coming to the Eagles.

I’m not complaining just thought it was funny
I have had to keep quiet about the player from Brisbane if he is announced I’ll mention what I was told by someone closer to the eagles and I was sworn to secrecy

Now I was told Tsitas was brought in with the Ballenden interview


The Woodville West Torrens Football Club is delighted to announce the signings of Connor Ballenden, Jarred Allmond and Mitch Duval.

Ballenden has spent the previous four seasons on the Brisbane Lions list after coming through the Lions Academy. The 200cm key forward debuted in 2020 and played 3 AFL matches. In his time at Brisbane, he played in two NEAFL premierships and recently won the Brisbane best and fairest

Nick Moore - no loss in my opinion

wimpy wrote:

MichaelScott wrote:Posted on Talkingfootysa that we have signed connor ballenden

Think there could be some announcements today......been waiting a week for this to happen.

Huge battle between Eagles and Tigers for Ballenden, Panthers were eliminated early.
Will be a very handy forward addition.

Glenelg should be use to coming second now

Ballenden's signing is significant. Gives us more options with the high ball coming in whereas we had to deliver to forwards low and fast and, without Stengle, this was going to be difficult to get same results. Full forward line could read - Dan Menzel, Ballenden, Goldsworthy.

Eagles are off to an excellent start to their recruiting. Now to grab a quick midfielder and a second big bodied midfielder (Angus Baker type) when the AFL draft has been done. And, if exSturt/ delisted Lienert isn't redrafted, the Eagles might make a play for him - at 195cm, with pace and skills.

The signing of Ballenden is significant for the reasons Hawke mentioned. Also allows Jack Hayes to continue to play his role (of doing whatever he wants further up the field) and if Lehmann partners with Thompson down back, allows Sheedy to use Cameron however he sees fit.

The recruiting last year was top notch. It seems all those will still be playing next year and the only recruit who didn't play the Grand Final (Mitch Hardie) was knocking the door down in the Reserves and will likely fill one of the spots left by Stengle and Poole.

Our midfield is pretty full with depth aplenty. Perhaps D'Aloia can add some spark through the year if he develops in his draft year.

The list is in great shape. How to get the hunger to work harder than the opposition through the pre-season and be physically and mentally ready to go round 1 will be the first of a number of boxes that need to be ticked to make it all a possibility again.

To summarise, the outs;
Giuffreda, Poole, Stengle, Jungfer and Von Bertouch who were mainstays in the league side last season.
Moore, Lee, Gaffney, Kerrish, Schmusch who were depth players.

The ins;
Ballenden, Allmond, Duval.

Wait and see what happens at the AFL Draft, but it seems unlikely we'll be hit like we were last season? An early best 22 still sees a handful of league quality players missing out if injuries are kind to us. A very strong position to be in.

Based on the past few seasons inparticular we certainly recruit well. Anyone else drawn up a possible team yet. Just a quick one
off the top of my head. Something like that anyway

D Menzel Ballenden Lonergan

Goldsworthy Hayes T Menzel

Mutch Tsitas Toumpas

Allmond Cameron Duvall

Rowland Thompson Beecken

Redden Comma
Sinor McFarlane
Knight Firns





plus any number of quality 18s and Reserve lads will get an opportunity as seen in the last couple of season

Gaz,
My team is different because I reckon Beecken will get drafted. Also, I hope we have a couple of midfielders in the pipeline still to come, allowing Mutch and Knight to "rest" on HF flank when not in the midfield. Also Jesse Lonergan needs to have more impact and doesn't find the ball enough and is way behind Tsitas, Sinor, Knight and Mutch. But at present:

FF D Menzel, Ballenden, Goldsworthy

HF Menzel Hayes Knight

C Pudney Tsitas Toumpas

HB Litster Cameron Allmond

FB Rowland Thompson Duval

1st R Redden Mutch Sinor
2nd R Hayes Lonergan Knight

res Lonergan Firns Hardie Lehman

Glenelg must have been so close to signing Ballenden. He is even on the Glenelg list (not Eagles) for players that have nominated for the Draft. Now we sweat it out next week to find out whether or not we lose our prime recruit to the Draft.

hawke wrote:Glenelg must have been so close to signing Ballenden. He is even on the Glenelg list (not Eagles) for players that have nominated for the Draft. Now we sweat it out next week to find out whether or not we lose our prime recruit to the Draft.

Very similar to the way they approached the Grand Final.
Thought they only had to turn up.
Beaten again by the Eagles!

Lets wait until after the meat market draft has taken place before we sellect a "side" Things tend to change and from what Kobe Mutch told me at the Champions Dinner I would be surprised if he is still here and not back in Victoria with his girlfriend

Reddeer wrote:Lets wait until after the meat market draft has taken place before we sellect a "side" Things tend to change and from what Kobe Mutch told me at the Champions Dinner I would be surprised if he is still here and not back in Victoria with his girlfriend

Just a bit of fun Aerie meat market or not. Half a dozen players could do ACLs during preseason and the "side" would look very different indeed

Clay Cameron signs to return to Oval Ave in 2022