Renegades land Behrendorff in first major BBL free agency move

The Melbourne Renegades have wasted no time in making a big move in the BBL's first 'Player Movement Window' landing Australia left-arm quick Jason Behrendorff on a three-year deal.

Behrendorff's surprise move ends a 10-year association with the Perth Scorchers after that club missed the finals for the first time in five seasons, and lands the Renegades this summer's leading wicket-taker with 17 at 17.41.

Behrendorff will join forces with this year's BKT Golden Arm runner-up Tom Rogers who finished the season with 16 scalps.

"Moving to Melbourne has something my wife, Juvelle, and I have talked about as a goal whether the end of my career happened so to continue my career and play cricket in a city we both love is a blessing," Behrendorff said today.

"I am really excited for what the next chapter holds with the Melbourne Renegades but just as importantly for my family too."

Renegades General Manager James Rosengarten hailed the major boost to a squad that finished sixth this season with four wins.

"Jason is a world-class bowler and proven match-winner, so we’re delighted to have him on board," said Rosengarten. "His performances in BBL|14 and over a long period of time shows why he’s one of the most dangerous bowlers in the competition.

Behrendorff, who turns 35 in April, played 105 games with the Scorchers, amassing 137 wickets – the fifth most in the league’s history – at an impressive 16.73 strike rate.

His white ball reputation has been cemented with 29 appearances on the international stage for Australia and in T20 competitions worldwide including the Indian Premier League.

Behrendorff arrives at the Renegades via the inaugural BBL Player Movement Window which opened on Tuesday and allows clubs to sign eligible Free Agents and trade uncontracted players or draft picks.

New this year, the Player Movement Window allows clubs to sign an eligible free agent or trade players or draft picks with other teams. They are not permitted to re-sign or extend an existing player during the period.

The Scorchers have been looking to the future with their re-signings before an embargo kicked in at the conclusion of the home-and-away season.

The club secured spin-bowling allrounder Ashton Agar for another three years, with emerging speedster Mahli Beardman, and allrounders Cooper Connolly and Aaron Hardie also locked away on long-term deals.

Perth's 38-year-old veteran Andrew Tye also faces an uncertain future after he was left out of the Scorchers' line-up for part of the KFC BBL|14 season, while Behrendorff's arrival clouds the future of Kane Richardson.

The Melbourne Renegades add Behrendorff to the nine players in their squad who were already contracted and signed ahead of the contracting deadlines.

The Player Movement Window will close on Thursday, February 6 at 5pm AEDT with no further contracting activity permitted until the lifting of the embargo, which the league anticipates to occur in March.

Contracted for BBL|15: Jason Behrendorff (contracted until BBL|17), Josh Brown (BBL|15), Harry Dixon (BBL|16), Jake Fraser-McGurk (BBL|17), Nathan Lyon (BBL|15), Fergus O'Neill (BBL|15), Tom Rogers (BBL|15), Tim Seifert (BBL|15), Will Sutherland (BBL|17), Adam Zampa (BBL|15)

KFC BBL|14 finals schedule

Qualifier: Hobart Hurricanes beat Sydney Sixers by 12 runs

Knockout: Sydney Thunder beat Melbourne Stars by 21 runs (DLS)

Challenger: Sydney Thunder beat Sydney Sixers by 4 wickets

Final: Hobart Hurricanes beat Sydney Thunder by seven wickets, Ninja Stadium (Monday, January 27, 7.15pm AEDT)