New signings have been rolling in thick and fast at Amstel Reserve with plenty of new faces on the track at Cranbourne’s first training session this week as the club prepares to impress in Southern Division 2 next season.
One of the Eagles’ biggest recruits is Trent Marotta, a 197cm key forward who joins the club after a few strong seasons with South Croydon in the Eastern Football Netball League Premier Division.
The 21-year-old is also currently VFL-listed with Frankston Dolphins and has played 11 games across the past few seasons, kicking seven goals.
Marotta also came up through the junior pathways with Eastern Ranges and is set to make a huge difference to the new-look Cranbourne forward line alongside club legend Marc Holt.
Josh Cochrane from Oakleigh District has also put pen to paper this week, strengthening the Eagles’ defence as their 11th returning player.
Senior coach Angelo Soldatos said Marotta would offer the side great flexibility, with his impressive athleticism and work rate key features of his game.
“Key forwards are hard to find and guys that are 21, his size, and that move like him, are even harder to find,” Soldatos said.
“He can play … he can run and jump, he’s athletic, he kicks the ball well and I think he will be a very good player for a long time.
“Hopefully he can play a bit of VFL as well, we are very supportive of those aspirations.”
Soldatos added that there was a special buzz around the club, with excitement for what season 2026 may hold.
“We are looking forward to it, there is a bit of a different feel around the club and we know we are going down to Div 2, but everyone is pumped to get into it and fix what we did last year,” he said.
Throughout the off season, the focus for the club was to retain the entire playing group which has allowed the club to be more active in its recruiting efforts.
“Because we did that so early, it gave us a bit of clear air to go out and recruit some players which was nice,” he said.
Despite being relegated to Division 2, there is no shortage of excitement at Cranbourne with a core group of young players across all lines.
But the off-field efforts have been equally as important and will allow Soldatos to feel more supported in the role in 2026.
“It’s been a big off-season, but for me, I’m just as excited about the coaches that we have brought in to support the players and their development,” Soldatos said.
“Last year we had two or three coaches and this year we are up to eight or nine across all grades, it’s going to make it easier for trainings and allow everything to run a bit smoother.”
