The Yarrawonga Football Netball Club are excited to announce the recruitment of key defender Jye Cross who is highly rated by club officials and Yarrawonga/Geelong great Tom Lonergan.
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And the Pigeons have snared Leigh Williams who has been one of the defining EFNL forwards of the last decade, if not the defining forward, tearing apart defences for both Norwood and the Eastern Football Netball League.
Jye played two years in the TAC Cup with the Geelong Falcons – where Lonergan is a development manager - earning selection in his final year for Vic Country before the strong Geelong VFL outfit.
He then returned to his home club Leopold where he has been one of the key defenders in the Geelong Football League. At 195cm and 90kgs, Jye possesses the ability to be able to take a quality tall forward but also provide rebound.
“Jye brings with him a great deal of experience and is also in that key age demographic to provide leadership to a number of our younger players that (senior coach) Mark Whiley and his coaching team have so heavily invested,” Pigeons’ football director Leigh Ramsdale said.
“Importantly, Jye is a quality person and whilst what he brings on the field is important it is the qualities off-field that most excite the Pigeons.”
Jye is moving to town with work with his partner Millie Cooper. The duo is set to continue the trend set by Jordan O’Dwyer and Laura Ryan, joining the Pigeons both on the football field and netball court simultaneously.
A chippy by trade, he has just become a firefighter. Millie will be in her last year of study next year to become a teacher. She’s played netball in her junior years but loves footy and can’t wait to get involved with the club.
“As a growing town, we are lucky to be able to work with major partners such as Chris Kennedy at Kennedy Builders to bring new people into our club and town to assist them not only with work but also to secure property so they can put down firm roots and in turn themselves invest back into the community,” club president Ross Mulquiney said.
“Knee injuries curtailed Jye’s state level stint, but he’s carved out a fine career for Leopold.”
Leopold president Richard Hockley commented: “He’ll be outstanding up there, he’s a very good mark and spoils really well, covers off his opponent, he’ll make it very hard for any tall forward.”
Always a talented player, LeighWilliams found himself at Eastern Ranges as a 16-year-old, as a lightly built utility. He debuted for Norwood’s senior side in 2007 aged just 17 but it was in 2010 that he first started making waves in the competition, booting 67 goals in 20 games – including eight against East Burwood – as Norwood reached the semi-finals. In 2011 Leigh topped the EFL’s Goal Kicking with 88 goals in the home and away season, a total no one has bettered since, despite Norwood finishing seventh. Leigh’s dominance in 2011 drew attention from Melbourne and at the age of 21 he found himself on an AFL List (pick 59 in the Rookie Draft).
He managed nine games for Melbourne’s Reserves Casey in the VFL returning 14 goals, with a series of injuries, including being placed in an induced coma, bringing his time at the elite level to a close. Even despite this he didn’t completely give up on the dream, choosing to align with VFL club Williamstown in 2013, but once again injuries stood in his way, with torn ligaments in his foot meaning
he could play just four games for the Seagulls. He did manage to squeeze in seven games – booting 21 goals – for Norwood though, as they reached the semi-final once again.
In 2014 he returned for the last two rounds of the home and away season and hit the ground running, managing a further 18 goals, including six on Grand Final day to win the Cliff Tomkins Medal for best on ground.
The powerful goal kicker has a sterling representative record, having been best on ground in the EFNL’s two most recent Interleague clashes, including seven goals to claim the number one ranking from AFL Barwon, as well as a seven-goal bag for Vic Metro against Queensland in 2015.
After playing a practice match a couple years back at the venue and continued discussions via Williamstown alumni Masters and Wheeler, Leigh Ramsdale was able to lure the goal kicker to the JC Lowe Oval in part due to club’s list position but also due to the opportunities available for work within the town.
The Pigeons have been very lucky to secure support from key stakeholders such as Kennedy Builders and Murray River Electrical which allows the club to not only seek out players but also to be able to bring them to town with work opportunities.
The growing town and need for skilled labour along with partners such as former coach Chris Kennedy and star Marcus McMillan (Murray River Electrical) have added a new bow to the club’s recruitment. It would be fair to say that majority of the Pigeons are either on Kennedys building site whether directly employed or through a series of related subcontractors.
Ryan Einsporn
Ryan has moved back to town as an apprentice electrician and played a game for Tungamah this year.
An elite runner and quality ball user, Ryan will add another dimension to the Pigeons’ quality midfield group.
He has been involved in both the TAC and VFL systems, and played Juniors at Rowville in the EFL Vic metro squad, Eastern ranges TAC cup 2016-18 and Seniors at Upper Ferntree Gully in 2019.
“Ryan will be a great addition to our club, adding to the strength of the young group coach Mark Whiley has been developing,” Ramsdale said.
The Davis Duo
In netball news, the club is excited to have the ‘Davis Duo’ – Bec and Laura - as its Under 17 co-coaches in 2022.
“We are blessed with the best here at Pigeonland,” Mr Mulquiney said.
“With years of experience between them and numerous premierships under their belts, this duo have two of the best netball brains going around. Our Under 17s are incredibly lucky.”