The incoming Saints coach has made a signings splash since touching down in the Rose City, and if the new blood’s records are anything to go off, Benalla could be in for a big 2026 in the Goulburn Valley League.
In the past week, Pearson has lured in 6’6 ruck-forward hybrid Mitchell Vasterink and tough-as-nails onballer Travis Young, a contested bull with a booming boot.
It’s a statement of intent from a club that has flirted with competitiveness without quite cracking the code, with the Saints’ last finals appearance coming in 2018.
“One thing we’ve been big on this recruitment season was making sure we were really competitive,” Pearson said.
“There were a few games in the last few years where we just haven’t been competitive in patches of seasons.
“The idea was to bring in seasoned players that can have an immediate impact.”
Pearson’s own story is one of steady ascent.
A Gippsland product who spent the past 15 years on the Gold Coast, Pearson went from Brisbane reserves coaching in 2016 to multiple premierships with Carrara and Pacific Pines, and a stint as a development coach at QAFL powerhouse Morningside where he helped guide three teams to grand finals in a single year.
“I’ve coached through the ranks from almost the start of division four and worked my way up to seniors at the QAFL level,” he said.
Benalla supporters will be licking their lips at Pearson’s track record, hoping he can translate his success in the Sunshine State to the GVL.
And he won’t be at it alone.
Vasterink, a five-time best-and-fairest winner as a ruckman, is Benalla’s newest big man.
After switching to full forward three years ago, Vasterink has enjoyed fruitful seasons in front of the big sticks and Pearson hopes he can form part of a three-headed Saints’ monster.
“Nathan Wright, who kicked 60-odd goals for us this year, we thought he could use a partner in crime,” Pearson said.
“And then Mark Marriott who’s obviously one of the premier rucks in the league, we figured we make it a bit of a nightmare for anyone else who thought they could play no genuine second ruck because we will.
“We thought that could add some real strings to our bow, and as far as contested marking goes Mitchy is a machine in the air, his hands are the size of dinner plates, he clunks everything.”
Then there’s Travis Young.
The 25-year-old midfielder arrives from Rockhampton Panthers in Queensland’s Capricornia League, a competition long dominated by the near-mythical Yeppoon Swans juggernaut.
Pearson thinks he could be the man to bring some X-factor to Benalla’s engine room.
“Unfortunately for him he didn’t play for Yeppoon, but to be named one of the best players in that league outside of those clubs, it’s pretty impressive,” Pearson said.
“He’s a bit of a bull in the midfield; he’s got a 60-metre penetrating kick on him. He’s really got a high footy IQ and is a bit of a student of a game.”
The latest commitment to Benalla is another with a smart footy brain - though he’s a lot more familiar to the Saints’ audience.
Nick Mellington has come aboard as a playing assistant, which in Pearson’s eyes, “gives you an idea of the confidence he’s got in where we’re at”.
“We’re pretty bullish on the fact that if we get the draw we think we deserve for where we’ve been and we bring in some good recruits, we actually reckon we can make an impact pretty quickly,” Pearson said.
In other signing moves, Shepparton has landed a genuine gun in the form of Numurkah’s Kade O’Dwyer.
The 21-year-old midfielder has been a staple in the Murray Football League senior set up for years despite his age, winning the 2022 Rising Star Award and finishing runner-up in the league best-and-fairest - ironically named the O’Dwyer Medal - in 2025.
And in the MFL, Moama has reeled in a big fish to aid its 2026 finals charge.
Dean Galea, a two time VFL leading goal kicker with Port Melbourne, arrives on the Magpies’ doorstep fresh off a premiership with Riddell, and with 1295 career goals to his name, he’ll expect to give the competition a shake in 2026.
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