Young Zebras sign on for 2023

21/11/2022

The Sandringham Football Club is pleased to announce young Zebras Darby Hipwell, Oliver Lowe, Tyson Milne and Liam Hayes have re-signed for the upcoming 2023 VFL Season.

Darby Hipwell played majority of the 2021 season with the Zebras as a Sandringham Dragon before being signed by the Zebras ahead of the 2022 season in which he played 15 games. He averaged 14.5 disposals and kicked 8 goals, finishing fourth in the 2022 Neil Bencraft Best & Fairest. Hipwell also took home the Ray Patmore Trophy for Best First Year Player and Ed Hattam Memorial Trophy for Most Determined.

Head Coach, Jake Batchelor, spoke of the value Hipwell brings to the side, 

“Mr Consistent, Darby once again had a great year and showed why he was so highly touted as a junior. His strength to extract the ball and then make smart decisions is crucial for us, however his ability to just work from contest to contest is what sets him apart and is going to make him a great midfielder for years to come.”
 

Young forward, Oliver Lowe, was our Leading Goal Kicker, kicking 20 goals in 11 games in 2022. Lowe had a fantastic first year in the VFL straight out of the Sandringham Dragons. 

“Ollie showed some glimpses over pre-season and early on that he had the capacity to be a good contributor to our team. He is a tricky size to try match up on. If you beat him in the air, you won’t get him on the ground and vice versa. Gaining some strength whilst continue to develop his forward craft, we have high hopes that Ollie will be a great contributor for our club going forward,” says Batchelor. 

Tyson Milne had a solid year down back, playing 15 out of 18 games and averaging 16.4 disposals. Milne was part of the Leadership Group in 2022 and provided plenty of energy both on-field and off-field.

Batchelor spoke of the signing with excitement, 

“In his first year in the leadership group, Milney really set the standards with his actions. He is uncompromising on the field and when he stays on task, he is a very hard defender to beat. The way both the St Kilda and Zebras lists are shaping up, there could be a possibility for him to try a different role next year which is a really exciting prospect as a coach.”

Liam Hayes played 3 games in 2022. Hayes is another former Dragon in his first year out of the NAB League system who gained valuable VFL experience and has continued to develop with an aim for a bigger and better 2023.

“Big Hayesy had a solid first year in the VFL. He is a natural leader, which is what we love about him. He competes, challenges his teammates and loves winning; all great traits to have. I’m looking forward to seeing how his body has transformed over the break to set him up for a crack at consistent VFL Football in 2023,” Batchelor says.

We are looking forward to a big year in the VFL from each of these re-signed Zebras.

Written by Sandringham Football Club Media