Werribee has bolstered its backline with the capture of former St Kilda-listed defender Nick Coughlan.
The 21-year-old will join the Tigers seeking a fresh start in the Victorian Football League after two years on the Saints rookie list in the AFL.
Coughlan is hoping to get back to full fitness with the Tigers after a tough run with foot and hamstring injuries.
“I’m really excited to be on board and see how the year goes,” he said.
“Sadly, I had a couple of injuries [at St Kilda], and [footy] is a pretty ruthless business, but I’m really excited to come here to a standalone club and really enjoy playing footy this year.”
Coughlan was taken by St Kilda with pick 23 in the 2015 AFL rookie draft.
He never cracked it for a berth in the Saints team at AFL level, but he impressed in his time with Sandringham in the VFL with intercept marking a feature of his game.
Coughlan is no stranger to western suburbs football, having played for Footscray as a 23rd man while part of the Murray Bushrangers team in the TAC Cup.
At Werribee, he will get to play alongside old Bushrangers teammates Jake Sharp and Matt Munro.
“The biggest thing that appealed to me was knowing a lot of boys here and having a real community-style club,” Coughlan said.
“I’m looking forward to being able to play every single week with the boys that I grew up with and hopefully having a successful run at the finals.”
Meanwhile, Werribee’s busy off season also netted former Northern Blues versatile tall Kye Declase.
Also 21, Declase moves to the Tigers after two seasons with the Blues, sensing greater senior opportunities to be had at his new club.
