Raven Jolliffe to spend 2024 season travelling after winning Holbrook's best and fairest

The former Wodonga Raiders and Wangaratta Rovers player left the Ovens and Murray to join the Brookers last summer and lived up to his billing as one of the Hume League's marquee recruits with a series of high-class displays en route to the grand final.

But Jolliffe, who took out Holbrook's best and fairest over the weekend, is set for a change of scenery in 2024.

"Raven and his partner were planning to go travelling later this month but they've put it off to do it after Christmas now," co-coach AB Mackinlay said.

"I think they'll be travelling for about 12 months so we're not expecting to have him back next year.

"It's an open-ended thing where they could be back in three or four months and not like it at all or they might be away for 12-18 months.

"It's a bit of a wait-and-see situation; we could have him back at some stage next year but we're planning to be without him."

Jolliffe was 10^th in the Azzi Medal vote count and will be hard to replace.

"They're massive shoes to fill because Raven's someone who can play anywhere - and play well," Mackinlay said.

"Having him was a luxury and sometimes it was difficult because you didn't know where to play him because he's so good down back and he's so dangerous up forward - but you also want to play your best footballer in the midfield.

"Raven was arguably a class above everyone else in the competition.

"He won Wang Rovers' best and fairest last year so we knew the class was there but he adapted really well.

"He took the mickey out of people a few times; most weeks he'd be standing on someone's shoulders or kick a pretty goal but he was able to bring other guys into the game as well and had that higher standard way of thinking.

"He fitted in really well but more off-field, too, he was excellent.

"I knew him previously so I knew what sort of guy he was but he fitted in seamlessly on and off the field."

Outgoing coach Matt Sharp paid tribute to the impact Jolliffe made at Holbrook.

"He's a quality player and a quality person," Sharp said.

"You can drop back a grade and try to get through on talent alone but he's fit and healthy and he trained just about every session.

"He's quality in the air and he plays above his size.

"When the ball's on the ground to be won, he's got that real toughness and that fitness effort to out-last the other person in the contest.

"He was a really good team-mate and the the boys couldn't speak highly enough of him."

Holbrook unveiled Josh Kable and Cody Hewat as their first new recruits last month, the pair having crossed from Dederang-Mt Beauty in the Tallangatta & District League.

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