Adelaide Footy League 2020 season previews for divisions two to seven
A former Crows captain, ex-AFL talents and fallen powerhouses are among those set to battle it out when the Adelaide Footy League returns on Saturday. Check out our previews for divisions two to seven.
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The Adelaide Footy League will finally get underway this Saturday after the longest pre-season in recent memory.
In part one of the The Messenger’s season previews, football writer Patrick Keam has run the rule over divisions two to seven for 2020.
Part two – club-by-club previews for division one – will be released Friday.
DIVISION TWO
Tea Tree Gully coach Justin Maschotta has fired a warning shot to the rest of division two saying the Wolves are “as strong as we’ve ever been”.
But similar could be said of several outfits in the second tier, who have strengthened their squads with a flurry of late signings during the coronavirus shutdown.
Tea Tree Gully – the 2018 division one premier – was relegated to the second tier for 2020 following a season last year where Maschotta said his side was “undermanned”.
But the Wolves are ready to respond and some of those premiership heroes have returned in Trent Melville (NT Thunder), Ryan Spittle (year off) and Tom Bielby (Glenunga).
Wolves juniors Isaac Hewson (Kingston/Norwood) and Tyson Breden (Adrossan) also arrived in the off-season.
“We’re topped up and as strong as we’ve ever been,” Maschotta said.
“Coming down, the goal of the football club was to get straight back up to division one, that’s been taken away from us which is unfortunate.
“But I’ve got a young group who are just starting to come into that 25, 26-year-old bracket … they’re hungry and just want to play footy.”
The Wolves are not the only strong district club to drop down and are joined by western powerhouse Henley.
The Sharks’ quality and experience should be telling in the second tier – their last appearance in division two resulted in a premiership and immediate promotion back to the top flight.
Broadview missed the finals last season but has recruited well to push itself into the premiership conversation.
Former Richmond and Sydney midfielder Nathan Gordon (Birchip Watchem) has arrived along with Corey Davey (Solomontown), Frazer Driscoll (North Adelaide), Tom Rogers (Kingston), Matthew Taylor (York Peninsula FL) and Ben Yeomans (Victor Harbor).
Tigers coach Nathan Grainger said the club was well positioned to bounce back from a tough 2019 on and off the field.
“We’ve managed to get some quality players back to the club and we’re pretty confident we’ll be able to retain the list for the next 12 months and beyond,” Grainger said.
“We’re hoping to play finals as a minimum but we’re well aware we’re up against some strong competition.”
Sacred Heart Old Collegians will be another in the contending pack after falling one win short of a grand final appearance and promotion last season.
With coach Steve Kay into his second season at the helm, SHOC will be a tough proposition for each opposition club, especially with the addition of former Western Bulldogs defender Christian Howard.
After three straight premierships and promotions, Glenunga will face it’s toughest test yet in the second tier.
The Rams will be led by playing coach Andy Read – the club’s third head coach in as many seasons.
They come up alongside Old Ignatians, which needed just one season in division three to bounce straight back.
Salisbury North and Scotch Old Collegians are two others which have worked hard on the recruiting front and the latter will be particularly keen to improve on last season’s eighth-placed finish.
A return to the finals will be the benchmark for new PHOS Camden playing coach Ryan Willits, while Seaton Ramblers should pull some surprises on those visiting Pedlar Reserve.
DIVISION THREE
Nine teams will contest division three this season after Portland pulled a late surprise and withdrew its senior teams from the competition earlier this month.
It means one less game in an already shortened season for the remaining clubs, who appear evenly-matched coming into the campaign.
Promoted sides CBC Old Collegians and Edwardstown exemplify the equality of the third tier and should not be taken lightly.
The Dolphins have won back-to-back flags under coach Cail Harris and will be hoping to emulate 2019 division three premier Glenunga’s feat of three in as many years.
The Towns meanwhile have added not one, but two ex-AFL players to their ranks.
Former Port Adelaide, Fremantle and Sturt wingman Danyle Pearce and ex-Carlton and West Adelaide defender Adam Hartlett – both Edwardstown juniors – will play at the club.
Dropping down from division two are Gaza, with a new coach in Matt Krieg, and Modbury.
Both clubs will be eyeing a spot in the five as a minimum, as will 2019 finalists Flinders Park, Golden Grove and North Haven.
The Reds have finished fourth or better each of the past three seasons but have been unable to make a grand final in that time.
New Flinders Park coach Luke Ivens has brought in former Port Adelaide and North Melbourne forward Daniel Motlop to help the cause.
Westminster Old Scholars and Plympton will be looking to improve their fortunes after missing the finals last season.
The Bulldogs will be without star ruckman Stuart Taverner, who was signed by West Adelaide.
DIVISION FOUR
Pembroke Old Scholars is set to give division four a serious shake following a strong off-season recruiting drive.
The star inclusion is former Fremantle, Norwood and Payneham Norwood Union forward Alex Forster, who crosses to the Kings after helping the Falcons to the division one flag last season.
Forster, an old scholar, booted 77 goals for PNU last season and will be a force to be reckoned with dropping down to the fourth tier.
Pembroke also welcomes back 2016 premiership players Eljay Connors, Ben Williams and Matthew Falzon.
Former Glenelg player Nathan Woods replaces Tim Hart in the top job after coaching the B grade the past two seasons.
“Alex (Forster) is a Pembroke boy so he’s come back and helped me a lot with game style and his experience,” Woods said.
“This year we’ve had some strong recruiting, a fair few out from the school and really good numbers on the rack.
“So after a few disappointing seasons everyone’s really keen to get back to playing finals.”
The Kings finished eighth last season after suffering successive relegations in 2017 and 2018.
Gepps Cross appears set to be buoyed by a strong signing of its in own in North Adelaide product Stephen Tahana.
The former Rooster, who has VFL experience with Collingwood and Sandringham, has a clearance pending and is understood to have played in a trial match for the Rams on Saturday.
And Gepps would welcome the 23-year-old utility after a disastrous return to division three in 2019, which ended with relegation after just one win.
Morphettville Park was also demoted and the Roos have a new coach at the helm – former Adelaide Crows captain Tony McGuinness.
Elsewhere, former division one medallist Josh Hand has joined Hope Valley in a major boost for the promoted side, which enters the fourth tier alongside Pulteney.
SMOSH West Lakes ended the division four home and away season as minor premiers last year and will be looking to go one better after losing the preliminary final.
Former Woodville-West Torrens forward Lee Staple, ex-Port Adelaide Magpie Daniel Lees and former Sturt and Port utility James Watt signed at the Lions during the off-season.
Woodville South, Walkerville, Kilburn and Mitcham round out the fourth tier for 2020.
DIVISION FIVE
A drought-breaking premiership would be the perfect way to start life in Lockleys’ redeveloped $7.5 million home, according to coach Stephen Zweck.
The Demons’ new clubrooms at Rutland Ave are set to go and the major upgrade coincides with a strong push on-field.
Former Richmond and North Adelaide midfielder Matthew McDonough headlines the recruits in division five to play with brother Tom at Lockleys.
McDonough, who made 10 AFL appearances for the Tigers, was originally set to play with Keith this season before the country club’s league was cancelled.
He is joined at the Demons by fellow recruits Michael Corbett (Mount Compass), Dylan Howie (Brighton) and Mount Barker trio Henry Johnson, Bowen Hosking and Zain King.
“We’ve recruited pretty well and we think we’ve got a unit to finish top three at the end of the minor round and have an assault from there,” Zweck said.
“Last year we were probably six to eight goals off the top sides and hopefully these guys can help cover that.
“We would love one (a flag) to springboard the new building and with four senior men’s teams, a women’s team … the club is in a good place at the moment.”
Kenilworth was one of those top teams in 2019.
The Kookaburras dropped just one match in the minor rounds, but crashed out of the finals in straight sets.
The club will be buoyed by star man Jordan Wilson-King returning after he initially left to play in the now abandoned Mallee Football League.
Colonel Light Gardens and Pooraka are the two sides which drop down from the tier above with plenty to prove, replacing the promoted Hope Valley and Pulteney.
Fitzroy and West Croydon come up from division six.
Northern clubs Salisbury, Eastern Park and Smithfield were in the thick of the battle for the top five in 2019 and will again expect to be in the fight.
Rosewater finished just one win off the relegation positions last season and will be hoping for a better return.
DIVISION SIX
Always full of surprises, division six appears as intriguing as ever heading into 2020.
Fitzroy came from fifth last season to upset West Croydon in the grand final and the competition’s 10 clubs will be hoping they will be this year’s success story.
And there was a surprise even before round one got close to beginning.
Houghton Districts gained an unlikely promotion last month to even up division six after Greenacres pulled out of the seventh tier.
Brahma Lodge and O’Sullivan Beach Lonsdale, which were relegated from division six last year, were given the opportunity first and rejected it.
Raiders coach Matt Jones said the club jumped at the challenge.
“We’ve obviously built a side to play in division seven but we’ve recruited well and I think we’ll surprise people,” Jones said.
The move up could be a tough ask for Houghton, especially with the likes of Hectorville and Elizabeth remaining in the division.
Both clubs appeared to be serious contenders in the minor rounds before being knocked out of finals.
There is no doubt the Eagles and Hounds will be back to rectify their mistakes.
Joining them in the hunt will be Blackfriars Old Scholars, which will play in division six for the first time since 2014.
Jarrad O’Riley continues as playing coach as the Hounds look to respond from a challenging 2019.
Marion has it tough as the only club south of the city in the heavily northern division and will face five decent road trips.
The Rams narrowly avoided relegation during their first stint in the sixth tier last season.
Para Hills showed flashes of brilliance in 2019 and will hoping for a more consistent output as will Trinity Old Scholars, coming back down after a one-year stint in division five.
St Paul’s Old Scholars and Mawson Lakes make the jump up from the bottom tier.
DIVISION SEVEN
A one-in-six shot at winning a flag are odds most clubs would take and that is what is on offer in division seven this season.
With Greenacres’ withdrawal from the competition and Houghton Districts’ ensuing promotion, Adelaide Lutheran, Brahma Lodge, Central United, Flinders University, Mitchell Park and O’Sullivan Beach Lonsdale are left to fight it out.
A top four finals series will be played after each side has faced the others twice.
Brahma Lodge enters the division as warm favourites following a narrow relegation last season as they fell one and a half wins short of safety.
A long list of arrivals on the clearances list – mainly from neighbouring northern clubs – appear to have the Tigers in an enviable position.
OSB Lonsdale is the second club to come down from division six and will be looking to turn things around after a 0-16 win-loss record in 2019.
The Lions, who went 17-1 and played in a losing grand final at this level two seasons ago, will be eager to remind the seventh tier of their strengths.
Adelaide Lutheran made the finals last time out and cannot be discounted, while perennial battlers Flinders Uni and Mitchell Park will be hopeful of improvement after finishing in the bottom two of this division the past two years.