Buninyong has landed a major mid-season recruiting triumph with the arrival of Derick Micallef boosting the club’s promising premiership aspirations.
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The star forward, who is a flag winner with Redan, the North Ballarat Roosters and North Ballarat City, has lodged a clearance to join the Bombers in the hope of playing out the 2018 Central Highlands Football League season.
Buninyong coach Jarrod Morgan said serious talks with Micallef in regards to this season only began during the past couple of weeks and made it clear that there was no major expectations on the former Ballarat league leading goal-kicker to shoulder a major workload at his new home.
Morgan said Micallef had connections to Buninyong through his wife and was a good friend of fellow recruit Tim Brayshaw, who joined the club for the 2018 campaign.
“At his absolute best he is a super dangerous player that can do things not many other footy players can do,” Morgan said.
Morgan said Micallef would train with the group for the first time on Thursday, but was unlikely to make his debut in the seniors this weekend against Creswick.
Micallef only played a handful of games for North Ballarat City last season before going down with a serious hamstring injury.
He has not been part of the club’s current campaign under new coach Shane Skontra.
In his last full year with the Northies in 2016, Micallef booted 65 majors and was named the league’s leading goal-kicker.
He is also a past Victoria Country representative.
Micallef’s arrival comes before the imminent return of star onballer/forward Sam Turner, who hasn’t played this year because of a serious off-season hamstring injury.
Buninyong sits fourth on the ladder following the Queen’s birthday long weekend break with six wins from eight matches.
And it looks a pretty easy run for the Bombers in the coming weeks with games against the Wickers (10th), Carngham-Linton (15th) and Clunes (17th) on the horizon before the bye. After that, Buninyong has a difficult five-week run towards the finals.