Essendon Royals confirm several key senior men signings

Essendon Royals are pleased to confirm the re-signings of several key players for the club’s senior men’s team in 2022.

With the year coming to a close, the Royals have confirmed the re-signing of nine first-team players for the new season.

With high hopes for a first uninterrupted season in charge, senior men’s coach Vitale Ferrante has secured key pieces of the puzzle from the club’s 2021 squad.

Hugely experienced and talented forward Davey Van’t Schip returns as senior assistant coach, delivering an important on-field and off-field role.

The club has also welcomed back Graham Kelly, who was the club’s last best-and-fairest in 2019 and finished the interrupted 2021 State League 1 North-West season as the league’s top goalscorer.

Key midfielder Matteo Ballan has also re-signed, having been a consistent performer throughout the disrupted season.

In goals, Michael Stark returns after re-joining the club midway through the 2021 season, whilst Leigh Minopoulos, Michael Ferrante, Greg Lombardo, Mario Piraino and Luca Santilli also return.

The men’s pre-season program has been in full-swing since November, with players putting in the building blocks for a big year ahead.

The club has a number of exciting re-signing and new players to announce in the New Year. Ensure you are following the club’s social media pages for all the latest news.