VFL-experienced footballer Scott Carlin signs with Hampden club Terang Mortlake for 2023 season

Former Blood Scott Carlin, who played his junior football in red and blue, will return to the club in 2023.

Carlin - currently playing for Northern Territory Football League club Waratah - joins a string for home-grown players re-joining the Bloods after ex-AFL footballer Lewis Taylor and swingman Alex Moloney signed on.

Terang Mortlake coach Ben Kenna said Carlin's football experience belied his 22 years and he would be an invaluable addition, on and off the field.

The former NAB League footballer played for Geelong's VFL side this year and won the J.A Esam Medal after a standout season for Warrnambool and District league club Nirranda in 2021.

"He's played a pretty good level of footy over the past few seasons," Kenna told The Standard.

"It adds another good player who can play in the midfield and just his direction and experience, although he's not that old at 22, (will be helpful).

"He actually trained with us a fair bit last year because he was working around Terang with the Ballarat group he was working. He'd take some drills and point things out.

"Everyone knows him and he's a popular, likeable bloke - a mature young bloke who has respect for people."

Kenna expects Carlin to be among those driving high standards as the Bloods strive to become more competitive on the field.

The non-playing mentor said there was a sense of determination around the club after adding Carlin, Taylor, Moloney, Kolora-Noorat pair Luke McConnell and Ben Reid and Allansford's Rhys Buck in the off-season.

"The depth and pressure it will put on at selection is probably very healthy," he said.

"No disrespect to our list we had last season but I thought the second half of the year was quite an incredible effort to achieve what we did based on the depth we had and injuries to some senior players which missed big portions.

"I think the players themselves are excited by the additions we've had to this point and you can feel the energy at training."

Kenna said to challenge the league's best the Bloods would have to "drive standards a bit harder" and he believed the players were committed to that test, even asking for an extra training session on Tuesday before the Christmas break.

"I suppose more like your top two or three clubs in the Hampden league - I am sure that is what they have at training and the expectation of commitment to the cause," he said.

"All this will help with that whereas my first three years of coaching Terang Mortlake, obviously with COVID interruptions and getting that buy-in of commitment, has probably had its challenges."

Kenna said having strong eastern side clubs - Cobden has recruited well too - was important for overall health of the competition.

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