Eaton lose star recruit Harley Bennell on eve of South West Football League season

Eaton have lost their star recruit on the eve of the South West Football League season, with Harley Bennell opting to head to Bencubbin in the Central Wheatbelt Football League. Bennell had not yet played a game for the Boomers after joining from Harvey over the off-season but was granted a transfer away from the club last week. He also left Goldfields Football League club Mines Rovers in 2022 without featuring for them to join the Bulls. The 31-year-old had spent much of the past two seasons with Harvey, playing 21 games for the club. Bencubbin’s player-coach is Brandon Matera, a former AFL teammate of Bennell’s at Fremantle. The South Western Times understands Bennell is not expected to play every game for the club this season and could play for Wodonga Raiders in country Victoria. He has represented several clubs since his AFL career came to a close in 2020, including his junior club Pinjarra, VFL side Port Melbourne, Tiwi Bombers in the NTFL and two country clubs in Victoria. After being taken with the second pick in the 2010 AFL national draft, Bennell played 88 games across an injury-interrupted 10-year career with Gold Coast, Fremantle and Melbourne.