VFL star highlights Taylors Lake's boatload of recruits for 2023

Imports Leigh Fletcher, Troy Brimble, and brothers Josh and Will Hetherington aim to help the Lakers' rise up the ladder in 2023.

Incoming Taylors Lake coach Kyle Pinto said the recruits were targeted to combat the Lakers' weaknesses.

"I wanted to try and target a few more experienced players and aimed to fill the need of an inside bull," Pinto said.

"All four of these guys can play that inside role, which is going to be perfect."

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Fletcher spent four years in the VFL for Sandringham, and has plied his trade with the Hampton Rovers in the VAFA since then.

The midfield bull has a storied CV, being a two-time premiership captain with Hampton, a five-time club best and fairest and two-time league best and fairest.

In addition, Fletcher has thrown on the Big V to represent Victoria four times, once as captain.

Pinto said Fletcher "will be huge" for the Horsham District League and Taylors Lake.

Joining Fletcher is Troy Brimble, from Edithvale-Aspendale on the Mornington Peninsula.

Brimble was invited to AFL testing combine after playing with Sandringham in TAC Cup, and was rated 'elite' for speed and power.

"He's a Patrick Dangerfield type of player; he's absolutely lightning quick and tackles as well," Pinto said.

"I imagine he'll be spending 50 per cent of his time forward and 50 per cent on the ball."

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Will Hetherington is another potential threat both in the middle and forward.

"He's about six foot three, can play an outside midfield role as well as inside, and will definitely go and rest forward," Pinto said.

"I've got a team philosophy around high rotations, but that doesn't necessarily mean off the bench.

"These guys will all play midfield and then have a rotation into the forward line, or off at some stage."

Hetherington's brother Josh Hetherington was a member of the Darwin Under 18 representative squad.

The aim for the Melbourne recruits was not to replace existing players, Pinto said, but to compliment and support the Lakers' current lineup.

"There's a few current Lakers players like Jack Martin, Jack McCrae and Billy Finnegan, who'll remain in that inside midfield mix," Pinto said.

"(Recruits) will fill the void of depth, more than anything... we'll have seven key midfielders and rotate them through the centre and forward, even down back.

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"It'll be almost like the Bulldogs group, where you want have as many as possible going through the midfield and not rely on four or five, which they've probably done in the last couple of years."

Providing grunt through the middle was key.

"The biggest thing they were missing was probably just that star quality, there's a lot of role players and a lot of good, solid footballers," Pinto said.

"The big cry out from the local players was they just needed some more star players to take some of the load off.

"These four are definitely that star quality where we can lean on them a bit more heavily... it'll give us a lot of midfield structure as well.

"(The recruits) are going to play big moments in the midfield, but they'll rest as well, giving other guys the opportunity."

With a few Melbourne players signed on, Pinto said the Lakers will now turn their recruitment closer to home.

Pinto himself is set to move to Horsham to take up a teaching position at Horsham College, with his partner.

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