The Norwood Football Club is pleased to announce the signing of Ben Simpson from the North Launceston Football Club.
Simpson is an inside midfielder, who co-captained the North Launceston Bombers into the 2023 Tasmanian State League Grand Final, going down to Kingborough by 15 points in the decider.
After a strong season, the 23-year-old finished Runner Up in both the TSL’s Alastair Lynch Medal (Magarey Medal equivalent), and Player of the Year Award.
He also represented Tasmania in the 2023 State Game against Queensland.
Throughout 2023 Simpson averaged 25 disposals, 12 contested possessions, eight clearances and six tackles, and gathered a season high 40 disposals in the Round 20 game against Glenorchy.
Fellow Tasmanian and Norwood Coach Jade Rawlings was excited to welcome Simpson to Norwood.
“Ben’s a 23 years old who knows his game really well, he had an exceptional year in 2023,” Rawlings said.
“He has really built his game at State League level in Tassie over the last three years, and is someone that we believe can have a real impact for us when he gets into our program and understands what we do.
“Ben works in the finance industry which is flexible to move to Adelaide. We welcome Ben and his partner Hope to Norwood and South Australia.”
With the likes of Jackson Callow, Baynen Lowe, Thomas Donnelly and Ollie Sanders also hailing from Tasmania, Rawlings said the state had been a successful recruiting ground for Norwood.
“We are really open about where we recruit people from, there’s a connection there with Tassie which has been really successful for us, but we don’t just go after any Tasmanian,” Rawlings said.
“They have got to be a value-add and someone that hits our recruiting pillars – Ben ticks all the boxes.
“He visited Adelaide this year to watch one of our games and to get a feel for the competition, so he’s been vigilant on his end about what he’s coming into.
“We are excited about what Ben can do for us.”
The Norwood Football Club announced its first player signing on Monday, with Mitch O’Neill from the South Adelaide Football Club committing to the Redlegs for 2024.
Keep an eye on norwoodfc.com.au for further player announcements.