Dons sign Boomers premiership pair

Donnybrook Football Club have pulled off a blue chip recruiting coup, signing Eaton Boomers dual-premiership stars Jace Cormack and Chris Atthowe.

Cormack, 27, is one of the competition’s best midfielders, having won the Hayward Medal in 2016 and was named an All-Star at the Landmark Country Football Championships in 2015.

Atthowe, who won the Pike Medal in the Boomers’ 2014 premiership, is considered one of the best kicks in the competition and played 28 league games for Peel Thunder between 2007 and 2010.

The 28-year-old won the Page Medal as the Eaton Boomers’ best and fairest winner last season.

The pair join former Boomer Cody Miller at the Dons, while ruckman Brendan Page has returned to Eaton after two years at Donnybrook.

Donnybrook coach Julian Burgess said he was excited to have Cormack and Atthowe on board.

“What we are trying to do is get guys out who can come and help us train to improve our young blokes,” he said.

“If you are getting people from Perth, they do not train as often as you would like.

“It is big (for the club).”

Burgess said the club lacked midfield depth last year, but the two former Boomers would help fix that alongside Sam Lowrie, Keiran Hug and Sean Lynch.

“The depth was our problem, there is no doubt about it,” he said.

“Our forward line was probably the weakest but it looks quite strong now as our midfielders will change through there.”

The Dons have also signed former East Perth forward Brett Eades.

Eades played 14 league games for the Royals between 2007 and 2012, kicking 16 goals and previously played for the Dons between 2008 and 2010.

“I have known Brett for the last 10 years and remained close friends,” Burgess said.

“I asked him to come down this year off his own back.”

Burgess said he believed his side was a genuine premiership threat.

“We wouldn’t have done it otherwise,” he said.

“There is not huge financial reward for them. They are all jumping on board to take us to finals football.

“We think we can contend for a grand final, we just have to get there.”