IT WOULD have dumbfounded good judges of the Gippsland League to hear that Wonthaggi Power’s star recruit of 2024, the pacey winger from Collingwood, Isaac Chugg, received umpires’ votes in only one match last season.
Chugg played 20 games for the Power last year in a stunning debut season for the club, was named in the ‘best players’ in 13 of them and won Wonthaggi’s best and fairest.
But his only league votes for the season came with a ‘best on the ground’ effort in the final home and away match against Moe.
Wonthaggi won that game and, against the odds, powered their way into the 2024 final series.
Which is why, when reports surfaced on social media in December last year, that Chugg was returning to his original Tasmanian club, Longford, in the Northern Tasmanian Football Association (NTFA), it ignited speculation about his departure from the Power.
Not so, according to Wonthaggi Power Operations Manager Brendan Knight.
“Isaac will be playing most of the games with us this season but also going down and helping out his old club in Tassie as well,” said Brendan, while also acknowledging the speculation.
“He’s been a great addition to the club, on and off the field, including helping to lead one of our youth mental health sessions last Tuesday night.”
But it could also depend on Wonthaggi’s form, and their prospects for breaking through for that elusive first Gippsland League premiership, as to whether Chugg appears for the Power or the Longford Tigers in the 2025 final series.
Longford finished third after the regular season last year and made a great run at the flag, to be leading South Launceston at half time in the grand final only to ultimately fall short by nine points.
They’ll be just as desperate as the Power to taste success in 2025.
It sets up an interesting scenario for Chugg should both clubs do well this season. He wouldn’t be able to play in both the Gippsland League grand final and the NTFA grand final – they’re both scheduled for the same day – Saturday, September 20.
Of course, it would be an auspicious year for Wonthaggi Power to break through.
At the end of 2004 the Wonthaggi Rovers (Alberton Football League) and Wonthaggi Blues (West Gippsland Latrobe) merged to become the new entity Wonthaggi Power and while they won titles in the Alberton league, many are of the opinion that the new club’s legacy moment will come when they claim the Gippsland League premiership for the first time.
As well as benefitting from a full season from on-ball dynamo Ryan Sparkes, back from the Collingwood VFL team full time, the Power get Kyle Reid, Brodie Mabilia and Tom Davey back from injury and can add Jarvis Harvey and Jai Williams to a rejuvenated list from last season.
Toma Huther will be hard to replace in the ruck, bowing out to a reoccurring injury. Brayden Duve is headed to Perth and Flynn Anderson to Queensland but with natural improvement to the Macmillan brothers Connor and Tom, and continuation of some of the other pleasing growth seen last year. Wonthaggi will be right up there again in the looming season.
But certainly, Isaac Chugg is a key part of Power’s plans in 2025 and it will be interesting to see how he juggles commitments to Longford, where he has family ties, and Wonthaggi, where he has forged strong links during the year.