Harper Sercombe
Williamstown has added to its busy off-season signing former AFL player Aiden Bonar for the Victorian Football League season.
Bonar started his AFL career in 2017 when he was drafted as a first-round draft pick by the Greater Western Sydney Giants. The defender then transferred to North Melbourne in 2019 and remained at the club until 2023.
After 34 AFL games where he showcased his powerful athleticism, he will now call DSV Stadium home.
“It’s a bit of a different experience, coming from an AFL club but since travelling out and meeting all the boys and all the coaches, I’m super excited and can’t wait to get started,” Bonar said.
“After spending six years in the system, I feel like I can give a bit to a lot of the younger lads at the club, if I can help out in that way, I will, and help Plappy (coach Justin Plapp) and Jeff (Andrews, director of coaching).
“It’s been good and everyone is willing to learn and it’s a great environment to play footy in.”
While Bonar is excited to get going for the club, he said he will be using the season to try to replicate what Marty Hore and Oscar McDonald did last season, and find his way back onto an AFL list. The pair joined the club last season and had an instant impact to get another chance on an AFL list.
“That’s the goal. It was a big pull to go to Willy, obviously seeing Marty and Oscar get picked up last year,” he said.
“They’ve got the proof there that you can get picked up and I wanted to play in a really good side which Willy is, they went really well last year, so that was a big push for me to play at Willy.”
Both McDonald and Hore leaving the club at the start of the season has left a gaping hole in the Williamstown defence, which is something that Bonar can try and make the most of.
“I played some footy with Marty in the North VFL, so I’ve seen the way he goes about it, I think we’re similar players,” he said.
“We can come off and intercept and I think I’ve got the players around me down there already which are going to help me play to my strengths.
“It’s such a strong side so hopefully there’s a lot of pressure on the ball and I’m able to play to my strengths.”
Last season Williamstown won 13 games, finished in fifth position and lost in a semi-final. In Bonar’s six seasons in the AFL he has only won seven times, so joining a strong club and tasting success once again is something he said he was keen to do.
“I haven’t had the most success in the last couple of years playing, so I wanted to enjoy my footy again and play in a side that I think is going to win a lot of games in the season coming up,” he said.
“I want to be a part of that and I can’t wait to get into it.”
