Quartet to continue trial at Carlton Blues, VFL star Dom Brew gets another chance at Western Bulldogs - sports news foot

CARLTON has extended the trials of all four train-on players – Denver Grainger-Barras, Liam McMahon, Sam Durdin and Matt Carroll – into 2025, while injured Werribee captain Dom Brew will be provided more time to audition for a contract at the Western Bulldogs.

Delisted Hawk Grainger-Barras and former Collingwood listed forward McMahon have travelled with Michael Voss’ squad to train on the Sunshine Coast this week, along with Durdin and Carroll, who were both cut by the Blues at the end of last season.

Grainger-Barras copped a stinger in his shoulder at training last week but hasn’t missed a session since as the 2020 No.6 pick hunts a second chance at AFL level after being delisted by Hawthorn.

McMahon has impressed early during the pre-season supplemental selection period (SSP) after winning Carlton’s VFL best and fairest in a season where the 22-year-old kicked 45 goals to finish runner-up in the ‘Frosty’ Miller Medal.
 
Delisted Port Adelaide forward Francis Evans, ex-Hawthorn key defender Ethan Phillips and VFL-listed forward Will White have also trained with the Blues’ AFL squad this pre-season and will all get more opportunities across the SSP to push their cases for a senior spot.

Carlton has two list spots available, but might keep one open for the Mid-Season Rookie Draft.

Brew has also been invited back to the Bulldogs in January after a frustrating start to his trial at the Whitten Oval. After waiting so long for a chance, Brew strained his quad at the end of his first week of training with Luke Beveridge’s squad and has been confined to a modified program since then.

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The 27-year-old produced a standout VFL campaign this year to earn a trial with the Bulldogs, winning the J.J. Liston Trophy after being named captain in the VFL team of the year, before leading Werribee to its first premiership in 31 years.

Gold Coast is yet to extend invitations beyond this week, but Southport star Ben Jepson has made an early impression since joining the program in Carrara at the end of last month, after delisted Sun Hewago Oea started on day one of the pre-season.

The 23-year-old Jepson moved to Queensland to join the Sharks after a breakout VFL campaign for Coburg in 2023, moving in with former Carey Grammar schoolmate Noah Anderson – he also played with Matt Rowell at school, where the Suns first did work on him.

Jepson was named at half-back in the VFL team of the year and finished second in Southport’s best and fairest after attracting interest from Brisbane ahead of the Mid-Season Rookie Draft, but is being trialled on a wing to add more depth outside following the retirement of Brandon Ellis.

Port Adelaide triallists Josh Lai and Jack Watkins are both expected to get more time to compete for a rookie deal in 2025 after strong starts to the summer in Alberton.

No player invited to train this SSP has come from further back than Lai, who was born in Singapore and spent this year playing senior football for Cheltenham in the Southern Football League.

The 19-year-old landed on Port Adelaide’s radar when recruiters Brett Anderson and Geoff Parker went to watch Cheltenham play on Anzac Day and realised he had AFL traits, despite his lack of exposure to the pathways. Lai is understood to have made a confident start at the Power, impressing those at the club with his athletic traits and composure.

The Power have tracked Watkins since he played alongside star midfielder Zak Butters at the Western Jets and went and watched him play half a dozen times for North Melbourne’s VFL side this year, where he won a second best and fairest and team of the year honours.

Watkins has drawn comparisons to triple Richmond premiership player Kane Lambert and has made his presence felt on the track across the past month, even producing some enthralling duels with Butters in match simulation.

Former Gold Coast key defender Sandy Brock will continue his audition at West Coast in 2025 after joining Andrew McQualter’s program at the start of the SSP, but the Eagles have ended Coby Burgiel‘s trial with the club.

VFL star Will Hoare and Kaine Baldwin will also return after the Christmas break to continue trialling with Essendon. Hoare has been impressive early, while Baldwin – who was delisted by the Bombers in August – didn’t play at all this year due to a navicular injury but was invited back to train with Brad Scott’s squad earlier after recovering from the debilitating foot issue.

Fremantle invited a pair of 21-year-old SANFL forwards – Isaiah Dudley and Baynen Lowe – to train with the Dockers last week after Odin Jones was put on the long-term injury list.

The Dockers signed former Port Adelaide and Geelong midfielder-forward Quinton Narkle on the opening day of the SSP, hours before Jaxon Prior was signed by Essendon.

St Kilda has committed to Magarey Medallist Harry Boyd as a back-up ruckman after inviting the Norwood star to train in November.