![FLYING AWAY: North Warrnambool Eagles defender Darcy Keast has returned to GFL club Leopold. FLYING AWAY: North Warrnambool Eagles defender Darcy Keast has returned to GFL club Leopold.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/fdcx/doc77016yvk290105uabkq2.jpg/r0_220_3541_2219_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
LEOPOLD'S strong link with Western Victoria continues to bear fruit with five south-west players departing for the Geelong Football League club.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Former Lions premiership player Darcy Keast, who returned to North Warrnambool Eagles in 2019, fellow Eagle Ben Williams, South Warrnambool's Liam Herbert, Warrnambool's Mitch Burgess and Portland's Connor Giddings have all made the move.
Keast trained with the Lions at times during 2020 and returned full time this pre-season but only recently decided to officially sign for the club again.
![NEW HOME: North Warrnambool Eagles' Ben Williams has moved to Geelong. Picture: Anthony Brady NEW HOME: North Warrnambool Eagles' Ben Williams has moved to Geelong. Picture: Anthony Brady](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/fdcx/doc7d92eqs6ipdwpw12ax8.jpg/r0_256_5018_3088_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Burgess and Herbert, both 19, are part of Geelong's VFL squad and will hope to push their claim for selection in the state competition.
Giddings, 19, joins the club with hopes of fitting into the side's attack while Williams, 22, had moved to the area and was looking for a club.
Giddings, Burgess and Herbert join fellow former Greater Western Victoria Rebels teammates and south-west players in Harris Jennings and James Cleaver at the club.
![COMMITTED: Liam Herbert will play with Leopold if he is not selected for VFL duties with Geelong. Picture: Anthony Brady COMMITTED: Liam Herbert will play with Leopold if he is not selected for VFL duties with Geelong. Picture: Anthony Brady](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/fdcx/doc7b2rzjx3uerbzosdi1g.jpg/r0_263_5146_3168_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Leopold senior coach Jason Tom, who had his first year in the role wiped out by the coronavirus pandemic, was excited to welcome the quintet to the club.
"Darcy is a bit older and he knows the whole group and he will fit in," he said. "He has been training most of the pre-season and knows all the guys and his leadership will be huge for us.
"Mitch, Liam and Connor obviously are all young guys starting in their senior footy careers and all seem like wonderful young fellas. We're excited to have them in our club.
"On and off the field they have a great attitude to their footy and development. They bring professional attitudes and are very committed.
![FROM DEFENCE: Warrnambool export Mitch Burgess will be a hnady inclusion on the half-back line for the Lions. FROM DEFENCE: Warrnambool export Mitch Burgess will be a hnady inclusion on the half-back line for the Lions.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/fdcx/doc7b3zn0nvklk1llvk43rd.jpg/r0_530_5184_3456_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"Liam and Mitch being in the VFL squad will also bring that extra level of professionalism to our boys.
"Ben has trained with us three or four times and brought a good level of energy. He is committed to the way we train.
"We have individual sessions out of our main session and he has been as good as anyone at doing them and has bought in straight away."
Listen to the latest episode of our weekly episode The Booletin and Beyond:
READ MORE:
Tom, who played over 170 games for the Lions, was pleased his club is continuing its strong connection to the region.
"We have a good record from since I was player and that's not just Warrnambool, it's Hamitlon and Portland. We just don't seem to get anyone wrong down there due to the quality of the people," he said.
![VERSATILE: Connor Giddings can play at both ends of the ground but wants to become a staple in the Lions' attack. Picture: Anthony Brady VERSATILE: Connor Giddings can play at both ends of the ground but wants to become a staple in the Lions' attack. Picture: Anthony Brady](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/fdcx/doc795w2kh8hhellb0dmx3.jpg/r0_263_5146_3168_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"Why fix something that is not broken and and there's confident reasons why we're so keen on these players. They're cracking young guys and for me as a coach that's the most important thing.
"That comes first ahead of footy and these guys can play but if they don't tick the first box we'll look past them. But they all seem to be good fellas as well as footballers.
"I hope it continues to grow and develop have guys play good footy and go back to Warrnambool and hopefully paint our club in a good light so we can see others be involved in our club."
Have you signed up to The Standard's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in the south-west.