By Tara Murray
Deer Park has received a late off season boost with former AFL player Trent McKenzie joining the Essendon District Football League premier division club.
The Lions announced that the 165 game veteran would join the club in a playing and coaching capacity.
Lions coach Jamie Madigan said McKenzie was already part of the family at the club.
“He has been around the club a lot with his brothers Kane, who is a five-time premiership player and Jake who has won four,” he said.
“His family is well entrenched in the club and he has been around even when he was at Port Adelaide.
“He lives in Deer Park.”
Madigan said the biggest thing attracting McKenzie to the club was the opportunity to play with Jake.
The two brothers have never played together. Kane has retired.
“They are a close knit, the three brothers,” Madigan said. “He had lots of offers to get a lot more money, but he wanted to play with his brother.
“It’s something that has been spoken about for a long time. Whenever he was out of contract every year, the joke with Jake was ‘I’m going to play with you next year’.”
McKenzie played 19 games for Port Adelaide last season before deciding to retire.
McKenzie was known as a defender at AFL level, with a booming kick among his biggest assets.
Madigan said they would look to use him in a number of positions, which McKenzie was open to.
“He is keen to get out there and enjoy his footy with his mates,” he said. “He had the nickname the Cannon and when he is 50 to 60 metres out from goal, he can do some damage.
“He has experience as a key defender but we’ll look to play him as a high forward to use his lethal boot.
“We will also look to throw him deep forward and he will go back when we need him to. ”
McKenzie will also be the Lions match day forwards coach, with the club looking to use his experience and knowledge from the higher level.
There had been talk about McKenzie heading into punting, but Madigan said for this year he was focused on playing at Deer Park.
The signing of McKenzie is the icing on the cake for the Lions, who have been busy in the off season.
Another former AFL player Lin Jong has joined the club.
Other key signings include Dion Hill and Zen Christofi who have joined from East Keilor, ruck Mitchell Antonello hasn’t missed a beat in the off season and Hayden Gill joins the club as a Victorian Football League-listed player.
Premiership players Tim Quick, Lachie Smart and Mark Galea all return to the club as one pointers.
The Lions start their season on April 5 against reigning premiers Keilor.
“That is a big test, they are the yard sticks,” Madigan said. “We requested to play them early on.
“It’s a good opportunity to see where we are at.”
