Tallon Smith
The already strong Group 7 competition will count yet another former professional star among its ranks next year after the Albion Park-Oak Flats Eagles announced the signing of recently retired NRL star Drew Hutchison for the 2026 season.
Hutchison, a veteran of 87 NRL games across stints at the Dragons, Roosters and Bulldogs, will return to the club where his career began at a time where the Eagles are shaping as a contender in the local competition.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Battlers For Bush Footy, Hutchison said that the move feels like the right one given his ongoing connection to the club.
“It just makes sense that now NRL is finishing up for me to go back there and play with some really close mates at a club that’s meant so much to me,” he said.
“Honestly, it still doesn’t feel like it’s actually happening, but I’ve pretty much been to every game of theirs for the past two years, so I’m there all the time and I’ve always had a pretty strong connection to the club.”
The Eagles have been there and thereabouts over the past couple of seasons, only for consecutive preliminary final defeats to see the club fall agonisingly short of a first Grand Final appearance since its 2012 triumph over Gerringong.
When asked about what he is looking to bring to the team to help them reach the next level, Hutchison said he hasn’t thought too much about that side of things, with more of his focus being on enjoying pre-season training with some of his mates.
“I haven’t thought a great deal about what I can bring to the team, but I’m sort of just looking forward to getting back and being involved in a place where training means getting together with your mates and having a good time,” he said.
“It’s a pretty pure brand of footy, when I watch it every bloke out there is doing their best for each other and it’s pretty exciting and I’m looking forward to being a part of it.”
On the club’s side of things, Albion Park First Grade coach Josh White said that the signing of Hutchison is a major coup for Albion Park heading into the new season.
“It’s a massive get for us, not many blokes go back and finish where they started, so having Drew back there, a local junior, played NRL, he’s been to the top, and now he’s coming back to implement some skills for the young blokes and help with coaching,” he said.
“He’s going to do a lot of things, he’s not just coming back to be a player, I want him to be more hands on in a coaching role, he’s going to teach us a lot of things too coming back into a club like Albion Park which is going to be fantastic.
“I’ve already spoken to Ashton Sims, and it’s a massive coup for the whole region really, having Drew come back.”
Famously the hero for the Illawarra Cutters in the side’s thrilling 21-20 win over Mounties in the 2016 NSW Cup Grand Final, White said that Hutchison is a good role model both on and off the field.
“He’s a local junior and he kicked that field goal for the Cutters that won them the game which is another thing that people remember, and he’s not just a great footballer, he’s a great fella,” he said.
“That’s one thing we do at Albion Park, we sign really good people, and that’s one of the things I brought in, that we need to have good people around the club to have a successful club and Drew is the pinnacle of that, he’s next level, he’s a great fella off the field, so it’s exciting times for everyone.”
When asked if he thinks that Hutchison was the missing piece that will help ‘Park’ take that next step in 2026, White said that while he will certainly provide a boost, the rest of the squad need to maintain their strong performances from the previous two campaigns as well.
“Having that experience and what he’s going to bring to the team will help us go to that next level I hope,” he said.
“I’ve already spoken to a few players and said that we can’t just pin our hopes on Drew Hutchison, everyone’s got to play a part in it.
“But having Drew in there is going to help massively with hopefully taking that next step, and I think his professionalism coming back into what we’re trying to achieve will help us take that next step.”
As for what he is looking forward to the most upon his return to the club where it all began, Hutchison said that the feeling of community was the biggest drawcard.
“There’s no one person that’s above anyone down there, from the people that take your money at the gate to the people in the canteen, everyone says hello and everyone’s a part of it, it’s that sort of community environment, I think that’s what keeps it going,” he said.
“It’s more than just a game of footy to a lot of people, it’s family, it’s getting together afterwards, and it’s sharing each other’s lives together, and that’s something I’m really looking forward to.”
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