But now the trio, along with a host of other GVL favourites, has decided to take on a new market up north, teaming up to form the nucleus of the PINT Greenants in the Northern Territory Football League premier division.
Based in Darwin, the 2022-23 season marks PINT’s first in the NTFL’s top-flight competition, and over the first 11 rounds it has been relatively competitive in chalking up three wins and two draws to go with six losses.
As a result of the move into premier, the Greenants upped their search for interstate recruits, and through their strong connections with the Goulburn Valley have managed to secure the services of a host of our local stars.
The list of GVL exports who have donned the PINT jumper include Trotter, Nield, Kyle Winter-Irving, Tatura’s Brad and Matt Ryan and Echuca’s Kane Morris.
PINT president Spencer Harvey explained how the connection with the Goulburn Valley came about.
“It’s a bit of a strange one that just has just grown year on year,” Harvey said.
“Kane Morris played for us three or four seasons ago and was part of a premiership with us then, along with Matt Ryan.
“Matty has stayed up with us ever since and he’s just kept in contact with a few people from the GV. He got his brother Brad to come up as well and we went from there.
“With Jett Trotter and Chris Nield, we knew they were keen to come up and play in Darwin and Brad got in contact with them and they’ve been a wonderful fit to our side.”
Coming up into the NTFL, the local boys have delivered a number of highlights.
Fresh off booting 54 goals for Euroa in the 2022 GVL season, Trotter has kept the good form rolling by kicking 17 in 10 games which included a bag of six against Wanderers in round six.
Despite suffering a few injuries, Nield also kept up his goal-kicking ways, with the Mooroopna gun booting 10 from his six games.
Morris has lined up once for the Greenants and was dubbed best afield in a round seven loss to Darwin Buffaloes, while the Ryan boys and Winter-Irving have been consistent performers across the season.
Harvey said he had been incredibly impressed with what he had seen of the GV boys thus far.
“Heading into the season we went after some high quality players like these boys from the GV and they are certainly going well,” he said.
“Jett has had a few standout games for us and Chris booted four a few weeks ago as well, so we are very happy with what they have brought.
“Brad Ryan has been going very well but has been hampered by injuries, which is disappointing because when he’s up and going he is one of the best players in the league up here, while Kyle Winter-Irving started very strongly and was a real focal point for us up forward, so overall we could not be happier with what the GV boys are giving us.”
Now at the halfway point of the season, PINT finds itself well in the mix for a finals berth, with team of youngsters continuing to adapt to the rigours of premier level footy.
But the main focus for the PINT brainstrust is to continue its growth into one of the NTFL’s powerhouses and, according to Harvey, that means more recruiting from the GVL.
“We will work hard to keep that relationship (with the GVL) really strong,” he said.
“We think the footy is really strong over there and with a few connections at Echuca as well, we are hoping to convince Andrew Walker to come up for a few games as well.
“Bringing in more boys from the GVL is always high on our agenda and we will be working hard to get more and more across.”
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