With speed to burn, former Western Jets and Williamstown footballer Charlie Nastasi will join his good mate Jason Marks at Corowa’s John Foord Oval for season 2021.
And dual Team of the Year Kyle Docherty, whose father-in-law is Corowa’s Rod (Whale) Lavis, will also line up for Corowa Rutherglen next year.
Nastasi, 26, played with Marks at Spotswood and booted two bags of five goals in 2019. Beforehand he played with Avondale Heights, 15 senior games with Williamstown in the VFL, including a Foxtel Cup grand-final and finished runner up best and fairest with Western Jets in the Teal Cup.
Head of football department at Corowa Rutherglen Craig Spencer said the club was very pleased to recruit both players.
“Charlie is an athletic-built midfielder with TAC and VFL experience, a dynamic onballer who can go forward and kick goals,” he said.
“He’s played under (new Roos’ coach) Peter (German) and has also played with Jason Marks so we had a double angle in snaring him. Charlie’s very fit looking and has the strength to run.”Charlie is looking forward to renewing acquaintances. “Jason was a big influence and Peter German coached me at Williamstown. I like the way he goes about it,” the 170cms, 75kgs Nastasi said.
Marks rates his former teammate highly. “Charlie will be electric for Corowa-Rutherglen,” Marks, who is returning to the Roos this season, said.
“He also famously featured in the final for ‘Almost Footy Legends’ for a goal he kicked in the Foxtel Cup for Williamstown.”
Charlie’s dad Peter Nastasi was an AFL Goal umpire and is a life member of the AFLUA (Umpires Association). Among his 158 games he umpired was the 2008 AFL Grand Final.
The versatile, big body, 33-year-old Docherty can play both ends of the ground. In 2016 he was named in defence for the Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League Team of the Year, then made the Ballarat League Team of the Year as centre-half-forward in 2017.
Kyle’s partner is Renee Lavis, sister of Roos’ player Jordan Lavis. “(Corowa premiership player) David Willett coached him at Mt Eliza and said he’s a great guy,” Mr Spencer said.
“He’s played on a lot of top forwards and done very well on them. He and Charlie will be welcome assets for us.”