Grovedale coach Jacob Spolding is realistic to know that star signing Nathan Kreuger is unlikely to be a regular in the yellow and black in 2025.
However, the second-year mentor is excited by what the former Geelong and Collingwood big man, who has signed with the Cats’ VFL squad for this year, can add off-field at Burdoo Reserve.
Kreuger is keen to explore coaching while continuing to play at the highest level he can after being delisted by the Magpies.
“That’s something he spoke about when we caught up with him,” Spolding said.
“He was keen to integrate into a community footy club and be a part of a community footy club.
“He doesn’t want to just be a player. He wants to try and be across the juniors, the women’s program, the senior men’s program.
“So once that fixture comes out in the VFL, we’ll be able to highlight some key dates that hopefully he can be around the footy club on some game days and work with some of the young players that we’ve got in the forward line like Tom Gillett, Joe McCarthy, these types.”
Kreuger, who was restricted to just 15 games in his six years in the AFL system, is one of three post-Christmas recruits announced by Grovedale.
The Tigers have welcomed back under-17 premiership player Ben Davis after four years in the Wimmera and Ed Adams from Shepparton United.
Davis most recently played with Stawell, which reached a preliminary final last season.
He was named the competition’s best under-21 player at Horsham and District League club Swifts in 2021.
“We’re really excited to have him back,” Spolding said.
“He’ll add some grunt to our midfield, so it’ll help Nathan Deans, Jack Tute, Will Jeffery, these types out as well, which will be really good for us.”
Adams spent 2019 with the Tigers before returning to the Goulburn Valley.
He had an impressive 2024 campaign, kicking 34 goals in 18 games.
However, Spolding says there’s a question mark over Harley McCarthy’s availability.
Recruited from Tatura, McCarthy stood out for the Tigers until suffering a serious upper leg injury in Round 13.
“He’s just working through whether he has a year off to try and get his body right,” Spolding said.
“He had a limited pre-season, which I suppose didn’t help.”
Grovedale has a practice match against Point Cook Centrals locked in during March before it hosts South Barwon in Round 1 on April 12.
Winnable meetings with Lara and St Albans follow that.
“I think it’s a reasonable draw,” Spolding said.
“The first six (rounds) gives us an opportunity to hopefully get into the season, which we certainly didn’t have, If I’m being honest, in 2024.
“We played, I think it was four of the top five teams from the year before in the first six rounds.
“We don’t have that, so that gives us an opportunity to hopefully get into the season with some opportunity to potentially win some games.”
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