MARRAR'S exhaustive search for a key forward has ended with the Bombers securing the signature of AFL Sydney star Kieran Emery.
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In a timely boost for the Bombers just under a month out from the start of the Farrer League season, Emery has chosen to join his former teammates Jake Brown and Lachlan O'Callaghan at Marrar.
Emery was co-captain of AFL Sydney premiership team UNSW-Eastern Suburbs last year and was best-on-ground in the Bulldogs' grand final win.
The 32-year-old was AFL Sydney's leading goalkicker in 2023, finishing the season with 79 goals for the year.
A five-time AFL Sydney Team of the Year member, Emery had toyed with retirement but was keen to experience country footy before he hung up the boots.
"I'm very excited," Emery told The Daily Advertiser.
"I'm very excited purely for the fact that it's a completely new experience for us. I've sort of plied my trade in Sydney AFL for a good part of a decade now so it will be a good experience to get away and enjoy some country footy, so to speak.
"I'm really looking forward to it."
Emery will bring a wealth of experience to Marrar.
He is a three-time premiership player in AFL Sydney, in which on two of those occasions he was awarded the Rod Podbury Medal for best-on-ground.
Emery was a best and fairest winner in East Coast Eagles' premiership year of 2016 and was also named at centre-half-forward in Broadbeach's Team of the Decade after three seasons in the NEAFL with them.
He was a NSW scholarship holder at West Coast Eagles at a young age after only taking up Australian rules as a 16-year-old.
Marrar coach Cal Gardner could not be happier to have Emery on board.
"It's super exciting to get a key position player like Kieran," Gardner said.
"As it was written about not too long ago, we were missing that tall so to land someone of this calibre is really exciting.
"Kieran will bring a fair few things. Some height certainly, which is good, and he'll be able to hold down a key position, whether that's forward or back.
"He'll also bring experience as well, which is good. Especially for some of our younger key position players, he'll be able to provide some guidance for them, which will be really good."
Emery will travel from Sydney. The Bombers don't expect him to play every game with Gardner explaining it will by a week-by-week proposition.
"He's pretty keen to get down for quite a few games. Exactly how many that is, we'll wait and see as the season progresses," Gardner said.
"He certainly wants to go about it the right way, he wants to experience country footy as much as he can so it will be a week-by-week basis."
Gardner said it has been a big win for the club to be able to attract the calibre of players like Brown, a former Sydney Swans rookie, and Emery over the off-season.
"Kieran is good mates with Jake, who's obviously come to us this year from Sydney and also Lachlan O'Callaghan, they played in a premiership together last year at UNSW. That's where that connection came from," Gardner said.
"I think Jake has obviously spoken volumes of the footy club to him and that got him interested.
"It's good to hear that players that are coming to us are speaking good things about our footy club, which is making other players want to come."
A number of AFL Sydney players have begun to make their way to AFL Riverina with Marrar, Coolamon and Griffith all attracting footballers from the premier competition over the off-season.
Emery explained that Brown and O'Callaghan's move to Marrar made the Bombers the logical choice for him.
"Obviously Jake speaks very highly of the club. He's been there for a few months now. Lachlan O'Callaghan too," Emery said.
"Two blokes that I have played in the last two premierships in Sydney with are playing there now so it's nice to know a couple there but it's also a good opportunity to meet new blokes as well."
Marrar will play their first pre-season trial game against Collingullie-Wagga at Langtry Oval on Saturday, which also coincides as the club's season launch, featuring The Suburban Footballer.
The Bombers have trials against the Demons and Hume League club Henty the following week before a round one clash against Temora at Langtry Oval on Saturday, April 6.
