Club-by-club season preview of the 2019 Southern Football League season as Flagstaff Hill aims for fourth consecutive flag

Can Flagstaff Hill win four flags in a row? How big a boost can Terry Milera and Josh Thewlis give Noarlunga? Will Morphett Vale bounce back? Messenger Community News has spoken to coaches from all nine Southern Football League clubs ahead of the competition’s opening round this weekend.

Ex-Glenelg player Terry Milera and former South Adelaide captain Josh Thewlis have joined Noarlunga fo2 2019 and are two of the SFL's highest-profile recruits. Picture: AAP/Morgan Sette

Can Flagstaff Hill become the first club in 12 years to win four premierships in succession?

How big a boost can former Glenelg star Terry Milera and ex-South Adelaide captain Josh Thewlis give Noarlunga?

Will Morphett Vale climb the ladder after dipping to second-bottom last season?

These are just some of the questions being asked around the Southern Football League ahead of the start of the 2019 campaign this weekend.

Flagstaff Hill should be favourites to win the competition again.

It dismantled Reynella in last year’s grand final by 100 points – a record margin for an SFL flag decider – and the club’s B grade went through the season unbeaten.

But the Falcons will have a different look this year following coach Rod Mitchell and president Brett Charlesworth stepping down from their roles, and Mail medallist Michael Shearer sustaining a season-ending knee injury.

Mitchell’s lead assistant Darren Vanzetta takes over as coach, while West Adelaide premiership big man Daniel Webb rejoins his junior club and Chris Puiatti is being backed to help fill Shearer’s void in midfield.

“I don’t feel any pressure – I’ve coached senior footy for a long time,” Vanzetta said.

“It’s all about processes for me and how players develop more than anything.

“I always say to the boys ‘scoreboards look after themselves if we do our processes correct.”

Reynella has lost several key players, including Codey Ellison, Brodie Sowter and Luke McEntee, and will be relying on growth from within but last season’s losing preliminary finalist Noarlunga has recruited strongly, led by Milera and ex-South Adelaide skipper Josh Thewlis, and Port Noarlunga, coming off a semi-final exit, has brought Jake Veide back to the club from the Panthers.

Ex-Edwardstown coach Guy Ridway has been appointed to lead Happy Valley. Picture: Simon Cross

Morphett Vale will be hoping to improve on its 1-15 record from 2018 under new coach and former Emus star Braden Bayly, reserves coach Clinton Howes takes the step up to the A grade at the Cockledivers, while fellow first-year mentor Guy Ridgway is hoping to help guide Happy Valley up the ladder.

“I’m not putting any expectation on it (the season) as far as win and loss,” Bayly said.

“I’m here to bring culture back and hopefully success follows.”

SFL president Craig Warman expected a tight season.

“Flagstaff Hill have lost a few players but have got a big pool of good players, so they’ll still be around the mark, Noarlunga have recruited pretty well … as have Port Noarlunga,” Warman said.

“I think we’re in for an exciting time.”

Here is how each of the nine clubs are shaping up:

ALDINGA

Last season: Bottom (1-15)

Coach: Damian Smith

Captain: Corey Mathewson

Key ins: Syed Hansen (McLaren)

Key outs: Rhys Timms, Liam Denton (South Gambier), Nick Scanlan (Willunga)

First round: Cove at home on Saturday

Damian Smith is back for his fifth season in charge of Aldinga. Picture: Tait Schmaal

Smith: “It’s been tough getting guys to come to the league but the group that we’ve got have been outstanding. We’re probably lacking a bit of top-end talent but at times that can be a distraction. We’ve had probably the hardest pre-season they’ve been faced with for the last two or three years and I don’t apologise for that – we needed to be super fit knowing we potentially wouldn’t have as many top-end, A-grade footballers. I continue to believe in our group. We won’t know until we start playing some real footy where we are in the mix.”

CHRISTIES BEACH

Last season: Elimination finalist (10-6)

Coaches: Neil Reeve, Jacob Crate

Captain: Aidan Coakley

Key ins: Shannon Archbold (returning/WA), Emmerson White (Yankalilla)

Key outs: Daniel Lee (Willunga), Michael Elts (Port Noarlunga)

First round: Morphett Vale at home on Saturday

Jacob Crate and Neil Reeve are back as co-coaches at Christies Beach. Picture: AAP/Morgan Sette

Reeve: “We’ve had a really good pre-season and the boys are looking good on the track. We’ve basically maintained our whole list and had an injection of youth. I think we’ll still be around that mark. There’s pressure on for spots. It’s going to be a real tight comp this year.”

COVE

Last season: Sixth (7-9)

Coach: Brett Baldey

Captain: Michael Galley

Key ins: Zac Vaughan (returning/Canberra), Matthew Cotterill (Altona)

Key outs: Kyle Stoldt (Goolwa/Port Elliot), Jake McCreery (Murrayville)

First round: Aldinga away on Saturday

Jake McCreery has left Cove to play for Murrayville. Picture: AAP/Dean Martin

Baldey: “(Last season) was one of inconsistency and missed opportunity. We’ve had some areas we’ve addressed in the off-season in the terms of cultural … and being more accountable as coaches, players and as a football club. We definitely think we’ll be more physical and hold onto the football and protect it a little bit better. We want to make sure we’re performing well as a team and ticking the little boxes. We want to be ultra-competitive … and make sure every time we pull on the Cove guernsey, it’s done with some pride and there’s an expectation the effort is always at its utmost.”

FLAGSTAFF HILL

Last season: Premiers (14-2)

Coach: Darren Vanzetta

Captain: David Kearsley

Key ins: Daniel Webb (West Adelaide), Chris Puiatti (Mount Burr), Andrew Shearer (returning), Matthew Walton (Happy Valley/Port Adelaide)

Key outs: Adrian Albanese, Josh Albanese (Kangarilla), Michael Shearer (knee injury), Josh Vandermeer (Padthaway), Shane Heatley (Mount Compass), Mitchell Johnson (Crows reserves)

First round: Happy Valley at home on Saturday

Flagstaff Hill players and officials celebrate the club’s third premiership in succession last year. Picture: AAP/Mark Brake

Vanzetta: “Not a lot’s changed because I’ve been with these boys for four years now and me and Rod coach very similar. He’s still involved in our committee and we have phone contact fortnightly, and he gives me good feedback. We’ve copped a battering and lost some quality footballers but that gives opportunities for other players. We’ve picked up some good players as well. At Flaggy, we always aim to be top two. I think I’ve got the cattle, definitely, we just need to make sure processes and structures go the right way – and we go from there. Having Michael out for the year is a loss on the field but I’ve gained him in the coaches box.”

HAPPY VALLEY

Last season: Seventh (6-10)

Coach: Guy Ridgway (new)

Captain: Justin Schurgott

Key ins: Michael Parker (Seaton), Michael Bednall (Gumeracha)

Key outs: Dwayne Ruddock (Mount Compass), Tain Smelt (Edwardstown), Joel Brown (Noarlunga)

First round: Flagstaff Hill away on Saturday

Happy Valley’s captain from last season, Dwayne Ruddock, has joined Mount Compass. Picture: AAP/Morgan Sette

Ridgway: “I’m gauging the player experience and player capabilities. I’m looking for continued improvement from the lads we’ve got. It’s a very young squad and we aim to be competitive every week. I’m looking forward to round one.”

MORPHETT VALE

Last season: Second-bottom (1-15)

Coach: Braden Bayly (new)

Captains: Daniel Earl, Julian Mardigan

Key ins: Scott Carpenter (Myponga-Sellicks), Nathan Bayly (returning), Brodie Sowter (Morphett Vale), Aidan Baker (South Adelaide), Brett Watkinson (Wudinna United)

Key outs: Nil

First round: Christies Beach away on Saturday

Nathan Bayly is back at Morphett Vale to play under his brother, Braden. Picture: Stephen Laffer

Braden Bayly: “The role got thrust on me pretty quickly (in January after the club dumped coach David Murdock). I haven’t had a lot of time to prepare but I’ve had a lot of help around the club. I wasn’t really involved last year so what happened was all hearsay to me. We’re obviously at a bit of a rebuild stage but we want to make it an enjoyable place to be around and get that culture back from when I was playing. That takes a buy-in from all the players – and they seem to be buying in pretty well. We haven’t got a lot of talls so we’ll have to move the ball quickly and hold onto possession and not bomb the ball.”

NOARLUNGA

Last season: Preliminary finalist (12-4)

Coach: Barry Pilmore

Captain: TBA

Key ins: Josh Thewlis (Henley), Terry Milera (Glenelg), Sam Hamilton (Reynella)

Key outs: Nil

First round: Reynella away on Saturday

Noarlunga coach Barry Pilmore in middle of the huddle last season. Picture: AAP/Morgan Sette

Pilmore: “We’re pretty settled. We think Josh Thewlis and Terry Milera will be good for the kids. We missed a chance to play a grand final last year, no doubt about that. (In the preliminary final), Reynella took their opportunities and played the wind better than we did and wanted it more than we did. I think all the boys learnt from that and I can’t fault the way they’ve gone about it this pre-season. Our expectation is to make top three again. You can’t talk about premierships – Flagstaff Hill are still going to be the trendsetters. We have just got to turn up week in, week out and make sure we perform.”

PORT NOARLUNGA

Last season: Semi-finalist (11-5)

Coach: Clinton Howes (new)

Captain: TBA

Key ins: Nick Steele, Jake Veide (South Adelaide), Stephen Conlon (NSW), Sam Campbell (Hackham), Michael Elts (Christies Beach)

Key outs: Jack Fitzpatrick (Myponga-Sellicks), Andrew Allen (Flagstaff Hill), Scott Voigt (retired)

First round: Bye

Jake Veide, pictured playing for South Adelaide in 2017, has returned to Port Noarlunga. Picture: Sarah Reed

Howes: “We’ve got a full quota – under-13s, 15s, 17s, As, Bs and Cs – and haven’t had a full quota in a long time, so it’s going to increase the depth a little bit. Defensively we want to tighten up a little bit. (Falling short of premierships) has been a bit of a tradition have been a bit of a tradition at Porties – there’s been about 25 preliminary finals and four grand finals. When it’s a big occasion, the boys go missing a little bit – they’re the facts and you can’t argue with the facts. If we sort that out, we’ll be right.”

REYNELLA

Last season: Runner-up (10-6)

Coach: Josh Vick

Captain: Ben Lockett

Key ins: Damon Arnold, Bailey Marshman (South Adelaide), Brock Richards (Colonel Light Gardens)

Key outs: Codey Ellison (McLaren), Luke McEntee, Mitch Minns (Unley Mercedes), Brodie Sowter (Morphett Vale), Sam Hamilton (Noarlunga), Ryan Frick (retired)

First round: Noarlunga at home on Saturday

Dejected Reynella players after last season’s grand final loss to Flagstaff Hill. Picture: AAP/Mark Brake

Vick: “Anytime you finish one season as losing grand finalists and don’t retain the bulk of your squad to have another crack at it, there’s a level of frustration. We’ve got a young group, we’ll have a very different looking side and there’ll be lots of opportunities for our kids. But we are very, very positive and excited about the season that lies ahead and the opportunities that are there for the individuals and as a team. Hopefully for the guys that are still there, there’s a bitter taste in their mouth to atone (for last year’s grand final thrashing). I still expect we can give the top couple of sides a run for their money but we’ll need a bit of luck to go deep.”

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