By JARROD POTTER
GIPPSLAND Power is set to spark in 2015 with a power-packed contingent of Cardinia region players.
Gippsland had a 2014 to forget after finishing last in the TAC Cup football competition, but has powered up ahead of their season opener against Dandenong Stingrays on Saturday 28 March.
Leading the lines is returning 19-year-old midfielder/forward Tom Papley, from Bunyip, who was a wily character in front of goals last year. Papley slotted 24 in his 16 TAC Cup matches last year to lead the club’s goal-kicking and finished 13th overall in the competition and was a ball-magnet under the packs and through the centre.
Pakenham’s Todd Beck, who switched from Nar Nar Goon in the off-season, also has TAC Cup experience as he featured in 14 Power appearances including three best-on-ground performances throughout the season. Alongside new Pakenham recruit Jai Rout, a Kickstart indigenous representative in 2014, the Lions’ duo will fill out the Power roster
Of the new recruits, the stellar acquisition for the Power is Australia junior hurdler Matt de Bruin, who has made the switch from the athletics track to the footy field this season and will play his local footy at ROC Football Club.
The 187cm utility last devoted his attention to football in 2012 where he played for South East Juniors club Narre North Foxes – earning league representative duties and high finishes in the league best and fairest.
De Bruin finished in the world’s top 20 for the 110m hurdles at the World Junior Athletics Championships last year in Eugene, Oregon and will be tough to catch once he’s streaming up the wing towards goal.
The Power’s opening TAC Cup clash is at Morwell Recreation Reserve from 1pm next Saturday.
GIPPSLAND POWER – LOCAL PLAYERS LIST
Tom Papley (Bunyip), Nathan Voss (Kooweerup), Matthew Debruin (ROC), Jai Rout, Todd Beck (Pakenham).
