A Victorian local club has secured former Essendon big man Tom Belchambers for the 2024 Southern Football League season.
Bellchambers, who retired after 13 seasons in the AFL, has signed with the Port Melbourne Colts for the year ahead - joining former Bombers teammate Michael Hibberd as a star recruit for the club.
The 34-year-old called time on his career at Tullamarine at the end of the 2020 season after 136 games in the red and black, retiring as the Bomber with the second most hitouts ever behind club great Simon Madden.
Like Hibberd, Belchambers missed the entire 2016 AFL season along with 32 other teammates due to Essendon's infamous supplements saga.
The big-bodied ruckman and Tasmanian product was limited to just seven games in his final year with the Bombers, but would return to the club as their ruck coach for the 2021 season.
Following his retirement, Belchambers joined Northern Football League club Heidelberg, and now looks set to continue his local football career with Port Melbourne this year.
The club confirmed the signing of Bellchambers on Tuesday evening, just over a week out from their season opener.
The coup comes after Hibberd's highly-touted move to the Colts, with the premiership Demon and former Essendon defender heading to the SFNL after calling time on his career at the cessation of the 2023 season.
The pair will play a big part in Port Melbourne's premiership ambitions this season, with the Colts looking to improve on a preliminary final finish that saw them narrowly fall short last year.
Port Melbourne's first game of the new season is scheduled for Saturday, April 6 in Beazley against Chelsea Heights.
