GRIFFITH captain-coach Guy Orton is eagerly awaiting the arrival of his two marquee recruits as he begins to finalise the Swans list for the upcoming Riverina Football League (RFL) season.
The Swans will welcome Jethro Calma-Holt to Griffith in a fortnight’s time with booming full-forward Stuart Cooper to arrive early April, just in time for the start of the season.
Orton has been in regular contact with the duo, who both have only recently finished their playing commitments with Waratah in Darwin.
Cooper, a former King Valley & Wangaratta Rovers footballer, played alongside Brendan Fevola in Waratah’s loss to Wanderers in Premier League last weekend, while Calma-Holt finished the year in division one.
Cooper won the NT Premier League goal kicking award in 2010/11 with 70 goals.
Orton said he is looking forward to both their arrivals and even suggested he hopes to land one more recruit from Darwin before the year is finished.
“Jethro will be here in mid-March,” Orton said.
“Coops has only just finished the season up there and he’ll still go on the footy trip and things.
“He’ll probably do what Che, Beau and I did last year and get down here the week before the season starts.”
New ruckman Andrew Hawkins, the returning Tim Mathieson and Charles Sturt University’s Rick Daniher will also be new faces in the Swans line-up this season.
Brett Owen has returned from a year off with injury, James Fallon is back to full fitness, while the Swans are hopeful of getting promising ruckman Shaun Curran back on the park.
Griffith has kept its losses to a minimum. Tom Buckley is Griffith’s latest departure, to go with Beau Runnalls (Palm Beach) and James Smith.
Orton said there has been 40 to 45 players at training and believes things are looking promising.
“We’re training pretty good,” Orton said.
“We’re still trying to work on a couple of other players and hopefully we’ll find out more there in the next couple of weeks.”
Griffith will play its only trial game against Coleambally on Friday, March 16.
Meanwhile, Goannas assistant coach Andrew Wild will learn next week if he can pull on the boots for Mangoplah-Cookardinia United-Eastlakes this season.
Wild plans to see a specialist next week, who will tell him whether or not he is fit to return to the field.
He is hopeful he will get the all clear and has spent the pre-season training with the club.
Wild, a key forward, will be a huge asset to the Goannas on the field if he is given the green light.
BY - MATT MALONE.
29th Feb, 2012.