With Altona’s replacement for premiership coach Corey McCall locked in and a new president at the helm, the Vikings are ready to go.
AFL premiership player Travis Varcoe will take the reins at the Western Region Football League division 1 club for the 2024 season.
Varcoe played 230 games across both Geelong and Collingwood between 2007 and 2020, kicking 171 goals in his career.
He played in the 2009 and 2011 premierships at the Cats and was a part of the Pies 2018 grand final side.
More recently, the 35-year-old was a development coach at the Western Bulldogs, working predominantly in the Victorian Football League program, while assisting the AFL players during the week at training.
Varcoe has also spent some time within the WRFL playing for the Yarraville Seddon Eagles.
He played nine games for the Eagles this season, including in their final against the Vikings where he was named as one of the sides’ best on ground.
Vikings’ president John Ryan said the club is delighted with the appointment of Varcoe.
“We see huge benefits in what he can bring,” he said.
“It seems exciting for the future, especially for the development of the young kids.
“He obviously comes with a lot of experience at the higher level, but he’s keen as mustard to get right stuck into suburban football.”
The Vikings have had some departures over the off season, with dual best and fairest winner Josh Bench heading back home to Albion as the Cats make their return into division 1.
“We always felt like we had him on loan,” Ryan said.
“You can’t replace someone like him, he’s literally irreplaceable, both as a human and as a footballer.
“There’s a couple of other guys who seem to be taking the opportunity to play country football.
“Having said that, we’ve also got some recruits who we are speaking to, to fill the voids.
“We’ve also retained a lot of the young guys, they’re a really tight knit group of mates, most of them have come up through the Altona junior program.
“A few of them got an opportunity this year… the games we got into them this year were invaluable.
“These guys just want to stick together as mates and that’s really encouraging.
“I have no doubt that we’ll be just as successful, if not more successful than what we were in 2023.”
Ryan said some exciting information about the Vikings recruits will be released in the coming weeks.
Harper Sercombe
