Calder Cannons confident with mix of key position and midfield talent ahead of new NAB League season

Calder Cannons will looks to move back up the NAB League ladder this season with new talent manager Tom Lonergan pleased with the club’s mix of key position and midfield talent.

The hard work is done, bring on the season.

Calder Cannons sat in seventh position at the end of the home-and-away rounds in 2018 but were bundled out of the finals in the wildcard round by 10th-placed Geelong, ending a promising campaign.

Cannons talent manager Tom Lonergan said he has been impressed with his team’s pre-season form and is confident of a strong NAB League showing.

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“We’re excited for the year … it’s hard to get a gauge having not seen the competition as yet but we’ve performed pretty strongly in our pre-season games,” he said.

“We’ve got a good group, a lot of tall key position players and a good mix of smaller midfielders.

“We think we’ve got a strong enough squad and we’ve got some really good depth in our key position stocks, which should give us a good chance of winning games.”

Brodie Newman in action for St Bernard's. Picture: Glenn Ferguson

Calder faced Northern Knights, Western Jets and Murray Bushrangers in pre-season practice matches with a final hitout against Eastern Ranges at the weekend rounding out their preparations.

Brodie Newman will lead the Cannons in 2018 and has also been invited into the new-look AFL Academy, along with vice-captain Daniel Mott and 17-year-old Campbell Edwardes.

Aberfeldie’s Newman looms as a swingman for Calder this year after arriving as a forward but cementing his spot in defence.

Mott’s ability to win the ball on the inside and outside has him on the AFL radar, with the Brunswick junior skilled on both sides of his body.

Harrison Minton-Connell has also been named a vice-captain.

Sam Graham puts a bump on Mitchell Kemp. Picture: Mark Dadswell

Lonergan has also been impressed with 19-year-old Sam Graham, who has been a leader in pre-season training, while Essendon father-son prospect Mason Fletcher will also return.

“We think (Graham) was really stiff not to be drafted last year,” he said.

“He’s had a terrific pre-season, led the way the whole summer, taught our young guys a lot about training, training habits and intensity. He’s a really strong leader.

“Mason Fletcher — who’s obviously Dustin’s son — he’s had a few back issues but he’ll come back into the fold in the early rounds of the season. He seems to have had a really good rehab at Essendon.”

The Cannons kick off their NAB League season against Sandringham Dragons at RSEA Park on Sunday.

CALDER CANNONS v SANDRINGHAM DRAGONS

B: Cody Brand, Tom Cartwright, Jack Keeping

HB: Curtis Brown, Brodie Newman, Tye Browning

C: Sam Ramsay, Harrison Minton-Connell, Max Simpson

HF: Ned Gentile, Harrison Jones, Josh Kemp

F: Jackson Cardillo, Sean Callander, Jake Sutton

Foll: Jeremy O’Sullivan, Sam Graham, Daniel Mott

I/C: Matt Allison, Sebastian Bell-Bartels, Jordan Flanigan, Patrick Luckins, Jacob Martin, Ben Morgan, Ben Overman, Anthony Righele, Ben Rigoni

CALDER CANNONS 2019 NAB LEAGUE SQUAD

Mohammed Abou-Eid (Moonee Valley)

Josh Alford (Lancefield)

Matthew Allison (Strathmore)

Rhett Aminde (Preston Bullants)

Michael Baccari (Greenvale)

Kyle Baker (Maribyrnong Park)

Sebastian Bell-Bartels (Gisborne)

Tom Belleville (Riddells Creek)

Mason Bowden (Craigieburn)

Ben Bozinovski (Keilor)

Cody Brand (Macedon)

Curtis Brown (Macleod)

Tye Browning (Craigieburn)

Sean Callander (Strathmore)

Jackson Cardillo (Rupertswood)

Tom Cartwright (Pascoe Vale)

Callum Clinnick (Strathmore)

Sam Clohesy (Assumption)

Tom Craigh (Avondale Heights)

Patrick Doyle (Macedon)

Jordan Drummond (Strathmore)

Campbell Edwardes (Keilor)

Declan Edwards (Williamstown)

Josh Eyre (Kilmore)

Jordan Flanigan (Rupertswood)

Mason Fletcher (Aberfeldie)

Max Fletcher (PEGS)

Ned Gentile (Essendon-Doutta Stars)

Jalen Gill (Avondale Heights)

Max Gleeson (Pascoe Vale)

Tom Gleeson (Pascoe Vale)

Sam Graham (Gisborne Rookies)

Jonah Horo (West Coburg)

Lachlan Johnson (Strathmore)

Harrison Jones (Gisborne)

Jack Keeping (Gisborne)

James Kefalas (Keilor)

George Kelly (Brunswick JFC)

Josh Kemp (Aberfeldie)

Jason Kenneth (Westmeadows)

Christos Kosmas (Keilor)

Flynn Lakey (Gisborne)

Brock Landt (Rupertswood)

Jacob Langborne (Craigieburn)

Ben Levens (Fitzroy)

Oliver Liberatore (St Bernards)

Angus Love (Craigieburn)

Patrick Luckins (Flemington Colts)

Daniel Mammoliti (Strathmore)

Jacob Martin (Aberfeldie)

Riley Mason (Broadford)

Patrick McLaughlin (Essendon-Doutta Stars)

Jack Middleton (Aberfeldie)

Harrison Minton-Connell (Aberfeldie)

Vincent Moffett (Strathmore)

Ben Morgan (Pascoe Vale)

Daniel Mott (Brunswick JFC)

Clay Mullins (Airport West)

Brodie Newman (Aberfeldie)

Fergus O’Neill (Flemington Colts)

Jeremy O’Sullivan (St Bernards)

Ben Overman (St Bernards)

Sam Paea (Aberfeldie)

Jonty Patrick (Palmerston)

Cruise Petrucelli (Essendon-Doutta Stars)

Liam Podhajski (Aberfeldie)

Khoder Rabah (Moonee Valley)

Sam Ramsay (Gisborne)

Anthony Righele (Craigieburn)

Ben Rigoni (Kilmore)

Daniel Roberts (Aberfeldie)

Seth Robinson (Airport West)

Jake Rocca (Strathmore)

Xavier Saly (Greenvale)

Oscar Sasalu (Essendon-Doutta Stars)

Lachlan Shore (Gisborne)

Sean Shorten (West Preston)

Max Simpson (Aberfeldie)

Noah Smallcombe (Strathmore)

Jaden Smith (Kilmore)

Alec Srour (Airport West)

Jack Stevens (Craigieburn)

Jake Sutton (Rupertswood)

Giacomo Thomas (Craigieburn)

Des Tipuamantumirri (Flemington Juniors)

Declan Tully (Essendon-Doutta Stars)

Dean Walsh (Romsey)