Old Collegians signs five new players including Mininera and District best and fairest winner

Justin Eales is one of five additions to the Warriors for the 2020 Warrnambool and District league season, having crossed following a successful stint in the Mininera and District competition.

Eales coached Penshurst for seven seasons, including leading the Bombers to a grand final appearance in September.

The former Warrnambool and Stawell footballer is also a two-time MDFL best and fairest winner.

Eales, who has signed on as an assistant coach, brings former Penshurst teammates Ben Hunt, Sam Weston and Chay Deary with him to Davidson Oval while Warracknabeal's Jake Peters has also signed on.

The Hamilton-based Eales said Old Collegians' professionalism impressed him.

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"I want to play football now and try and win premierships and I had no idea where I was going to go or no preference," he said.

"I was completely open to anything. I spoke to a few clubs and Old Collegians, who I'd probably never given consideration to at the end of last year, just called and met me.

"They just sounded really professional and like great guys from the first point of contact.

"I thought 'it's a chance'. I had a few things I wanted to tick off - I wanted a club that was in that premiership window and their past three seasons' results suggested that."

Eales said he wanted to bring his core group of players - Geelong-based Hunt, Weston, Deary and Peters - with him.

"Sam came to Penshurst with me my first year and I made him captain and he was captain the whole time," he said.

"His loyalty has been proven pretty strong. He is a really good half-back flanker, skilful, runs off and sets up play.

"Ben is a big key forward and I think any club loves big key forward and Chay is in the top couple centre-half-backs in the league.

"Jake plays midfield and half-back and, from what I've seen of him, he's probably pretty classy at half-forward as well."

Old Collegians coach Nick Sheehan said Eales' signature was a coup for the club.

"Justin is a real positive for me because on-field is where I lack and he'll bring that on-field leadership," he said.

"It's not everyday you get someone who has coached a club for seven years land on your doorstep.

"I am really excited to get someone of his calibre. He's still playing really good footy, so to get him into the mix just adds more depth into the midfield."

Sheehan said having Matt Dempsey, who has crossed from Port Fairy, as an assistant on the bench and Eales added to the Warriors' brains trust.

"It's new faces in there which gives us a bit of a spark and gives me a bit of support as well," he said.

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