CAW: Liam Scammell joins Lavington

After pursuing his football career with Werribee in the VFL this season, Scammell has returned to the border and signed on with the Panthers until Christmas, with the option to play out the season depending on his football commitments for season 2011.

The star all-rounder spoke with a number of clubs, including St Patricks and former club East Albury, but said Lavington was the “perfect fit” at this stage of his career.

“I spoke to a couple of clubs and they all put forward very good offers but I felt that Lavington was the best fit for me right now,” Scammell said.

“They’ve got a very talented young group of players and I am really looking forward to getting into it all.

“I haven’t played footy for about five weeks now and I feel a lot fresher and stronger than what I was when I was last playing cricket.”

Scammell was controversially left out of East Albury’s 2007-2008 premiership winning side and the 20-year-old admits the club’s decision to drop him for the grand final, despite his good form at the time, played a part in the decision to leave his junior club and sign on with the Panthers.

“It probably did to be honest,” Scammell said.

“It was a very tough decision to leave East Albury because I played all my junior cricket there but I feel like I have got a bit of a point to prove.”

Lavington coach Trent Ball is thrilled to have landed one of the competition’s star products.

“We are over the moon to have him,” Ball said.

“He has got a great personality and sets a good example and he certainly fits the mould of players we want to have at the club.

“I was always hopeful he’d come back to the competition and when the opportunity came up we made sure that it all fell into place.”

Scammell will add further batting depth to the Panthers’ top order and will potentially form a lethal new-ball partnership with Simon Roach.

In a further boost for the Panthers, all-rounder Andrew Taylor looks set to rejoin the club in the new year.