AFL Outer East: Handy recruits and plenty of hunger keeps Yarra Junction ready for flag defence

Yarra Junction coach John Holmes is confident an influx of recruits and a new-found appetite for success will silence any talk of premiership hangovers as the Eagles set about repeating last year’s flag win in AFL Outer-East this season.

John Holmes and Alan Chandler celebrate with the premiership cup Picture: Bethany Hutchison

Yarra Junction coach John Holmes is confident an influx of recruits and a new-found appetite for success will silence any talk of premiership hangovers as the Eagles set about repeating last year’s flag win in AFL Outer-East this season.

Last September, Yarra Junction executed a flawless finals campaign, finishing third before taking out minor premiers Seville twice during the post-season on the way to a 96-point win on the biggest day of the year. ​

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Yarra Junction’s premiership party Picture: ROBYN KUYS

“We started to get our full list together at the end of the season,” Holmes said. “But everything sort of aligned at the right time.”​

It was the club’s first premiership in almost 30 years and Holmes said his side is pretty keen to do it again. ​

“Hopefully we’ve done enough work (over the summer), I know we’ve done enough,” he said. “Once you taste success it makes you hungry for more. ​

“Winning becomes a habit, success breeds success.”​

While retaining the majority of its premiership list, Yarra Junction has inked some handy ‘ins’ during the off-season, headlined by three additions from the Eastern Football League. ​

Norwood premiership player David Johnson heads the list of recruits at Yarra Junction. Picture: Stuart Milligan

Norwood Division 1 premiership player David Johnson has signed on as has Mooroolbark’s Josh Hammen and former club captain Ewan Wadsworth, who returns from Croydon. ​

The Eagles, however, have added a few more beyond the three headliners and Holmes said he’s confident the club will have good depth for its premiership defence. ​

“We’ve added quite a few, it helps keep things fresh,” he said. “(But) Yarra Glen, Seville, Gembrook have all picked up well. So it’s going to be a tight comp this year.”​

Despite winning last year’s flag in AFL Yarra Ranges Division 2, Yarra Junction will remain in the third tier of the new AFL Outer-East, Holmes saying the league probably needed to balance numbers with the influx of clubs from the now-defunct South East Football Netball League. ​

“I think it got taken out of our hands a little bit,” he said. “But I don’t think it’s a bad thing for us to consolidate. It’s been a few years since we’ve had success.”​

It will also give Yarra Junction the opportunity to spend 12 months watching just how the blending of the two leagues, in Premier Division and Division 1, pans out in the inaugural season. ​

“Personally, I’m interested,” Holmes said. “We haven’t spoken much about it as a footy club, since it doesn’t affect us at the moment. But I guess everyone is a bit intrigued.”​

Yarra Junction opens its AFL Outer-East Division 2 season with a trip to Powelltown on Saturday, April 13.

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