Osborne sign Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong premiership player Kai Watts

In a two-pronged coup for the Hume League powerhouse, Osborne has followed up the signing of Max Hillier from Coolamon with the addition of Watts.

Watts has spent the past three seasons with Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong, kicking 56 goals from 48 senior games.

The 20-year-old was a talented junior in both Australian rules and soccer, going through both sport's representative pathways before concentrating solely on his commitments with the Lions in the past two years.

The addition of Watts and Hillier comes on top of the return of Izaac McDonnell and Jed Griffin after a season in far north Queensland.

New Osborne coach Myles Aalbers is looking forward to adding Watts to what is an already exciting list.

"Kai was quite good as a junior and played a lot of the rep stuff as a junior and then obviously played in the flag last year for Ganmain," Aalbers said.

"From all reports, if Kai is fit he'll be able to play anywhere for us. We don't have him tempered into a spot, he could play back, mid or forward for us.

"By all reports he is a very talented footballer and having met with him a few weeks ago, I got the impression he's keen to take the next step with his footy.

"If he gets fit, he could have a massive impact for us."

Aalbers, who was assistant coach at Ovens and Murray League club Lavington this year, seen first hand the impact Hillier can have at the club.

"He was obviously Team of the Year this year in the RFL. I actually played against him in a praccy match this year for Lavi against Coolamon and he stood out there," Aalbers said.

"He's a quality mid. He's going to slot straight in for us, into the midfield, but we're going to have a pretty deep midfield so he'll be resting forward at times.

"But he's just quality, a good fella too, so he'll fit in like a glove."

Mackie, Sam Livingstone, Matt McGrory and Bailey McAlister are the confirmed departures from Osborne's premiership team, but already they've added Aalbers, Hillier, Watts, McDonnell and Griffin, with a few more to come.

McDonnell, particularly, is a big inclusion after he finished in a tie for sixth place in the Azzi Medal in his last season at Osborne in 2022.

Aalbers is also looking forward to promoting several of the club's promising under 17 group.

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