As the SANFL home and away season nears a close, we're taking a look at the 10 best recruits who have joined the SANFL this season and the impact they have had on their new club.
A number of ex-AFL players, and one current one, feature in our list, as does an Eagles big man and a Tiger defender who were pulled out of retirement.
In no particular order, here are our 10 best SANFL recruits of the year.
6. Jarrad Redden (Woodville-West Torrens)
With ruckmen David Brinker-Ritchie and David Sladojevic both sidelined with long-term injuries for the 2024 season, Woodville-West Torrens talked triple-premiership big man Jarrad Redden out of retirement for one more campaign.Â
After hanging up the boots at Woodville Oval in 2022, Redden spent the 2023 season playing for Southern Eagles on the Yorke Peninsula before receiving the call-up from coach Sam Jacobs.
In a remarkable return to league football, Redden has missed only two games and picked up where he left off as one of the competition's best ruckmen.
Averaging 32 hitouts and three clearances per game, Redden has carried the ruck division superbly and been an important presence at stoppages.
Now aged 33 as the oldest ruckman in the competition, Redden is using all his strength and experience to his advantage, ranking third in the league for hitouts and providing excellent service to his midfielders.
While the Eagles' finals place is still in doubt, Redden's experience on the big stage and ability to give first use to his midfielders will be invaluable if they do see September action.
