Ex-Deniliquin Rams players Blair Whelan and Simon Maher will both make a return to their former club for the 2013 Murray Football League season.
The dual signing was confirmed by coach Gary Parsons yesterday and comes just a week after the Rams secured the services of premiership ruckman Anthony Bull and talented young forward Brett Macdonald.
Whelan, 19, is currently on VFL club North Ballarat Roosters’ list but has named Deniliquin as his home club and is expected to play about 10 games in the blue and gold.
He is the younger brother of Rams vice captain Josh.
Twenty-six year-old Maher has moved back to Deniliquin from Bendigo and will take up arms in the Rams’ backline.
‘‘We’re extremely pleased that former players like Simon and Blair are returning to the club,’’ Parsons said.
‘‘Both these guys’ families have been involved with the club for a very long time and they are the sort of people we want around the place.
‘‘They’ve played some good level footy but the best part is that they are good, solid people.’’
For the past three seasons, Whelan has enjoyed considerable success at Ballarat Football League club Redan and was named his side’s best player in the Lions grand final loss to Sunbury this year.
After starting on a wing in the season decider, the gun teenager was shifted to the backline in the second half where he provided numerous rebounds and helped Redan stage a final-quarter comeback.
He was a member of Redan’s 2011 senior flag and in 2010 he won an under-18 premiership with the club, taking out the best on ground medal in the process.
A very athletic and skilled utility, the 182cm Whelan played most of junior football with the Rams before relocating to Ballarat to attend Ballarat Clarendon College.
‘‘He (Whelan) can play as a centre-half back or an onballer... he is a real utility,’’ Parsons said.
‘‘From all reports he has been in good form and has played some games with the Roosters.
‘‘He plays fairly tall which would be a great asset in the middle.’’
Maher, a hard-at-it backman, has played 72 senior games for the Rams and was one of the club’s key defenders in 2009 and 2010.
He has played the past two seasons with Heathcote and District Football League club Colbinabbin.
‘‘Simon’s a nice, hard defender and a great clubman. He has played a shut-down role with us in the past and I’d expect him to do the same again,’’ Parsons said.
‘‘He can shut down a mid-sized forward and has played a bit of onball at Colbinabbin as well.’’
Parsons said the club is ‘‘still in talks’’ with a few more players.
‘‘We’ll have about 10 new players by the time we start up,’’ he said.
‘‘There is a few young players that will step up like Brenton Loudon and Charles Trotman, who will be even better this year.
‘‘Others like Lachie MacDonald and Ozzie (Dylan Osbourne) will step up as well.’’
The club will have its first pre-season run this Sunday.
