Essendon Royals announce re-signing of experienced defender Phil Riccobene ahead of 2025 VPL2 season

Essendon Royals are thrilled to announce the re-signing of experienced defender Phil Riccobene to their senior men’s side ahead of the 2025 VPL2 season.

Riccobene joined the club after a nine season stint stint at Avondale, where he made over 100 top flight appearances for the Avengers and served as senior men’s captain.

The defender immediately slotted into the heart of the Royals defence, making 18 matchday appearances and providing immense leadership in the back-half.

His re-signing bolsters not only our defensive unit for the 2025 season, but also our overall experience in the senior squad, joining the likes of Graham Kelly, Vince Lia and Brad Norton to have signed on for the upcoming campaign.

He is the tenth re-signing for the Royals this off-season, joining Kelly, Lia, Norton, VPL2 Golden Boot winner Jordan Adeyemi, Dean Clarke, Will Thomason, Andre Russo, James Tieri and Seb Lo Monaco, along with new signings Vincent Nicoletti and Rashid Hayek.