EDFL 2018: Moonee Valley coach Shanon Carroll stung by first-week finals exit

MOONEE Valley has wasted no time strengthening its list after a first-week finals exit in Essendon District Football League Division 2 this year.

Moonee Valley and East Sunbury do battle in this year’s elimination final. Picture: Josie Hayden

MOONEE Valley has launched an aggressive recruiting campaign after a first-week finals exit in Essendon District Football League Division 2 this year.

Coach Shanon Carroll, who is preparing for his second season at the helm, said six recruits had committed to the Fog, but he was keen to keep the names under wraps.

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Moonee Valley was in double-chance contention for most of 2018 before finishing third and losing to eventual runner-up East Sunbury in the elimination final.

Carroll lamented the fact three of his side’s seven losses were by eight points or less, while injuries also hurt the Fog.

Moonee Valley coach Shanon Carroll calls the shots. Picture: Josie Hayden

“Initially I was very disappointed,” Carroll said.

“Blame myself for a lot of it. I came into the club with expectations of finishing top two and we worked really hard towards that.

“We can look at it and say every other club had their dramas, so we probably finished where we deserved to.

“Probably the pleasing thing after we got knocked out of the finals was just to see the hurt on people’s faces, just the real care factor and what it meant.

“Hopefully that drives the boys through pre-season to go that couple of steps further and gain the success the club’s been starved of for the senior side at least.”

Carroll was named coach of the Division 2 Team of the Year, while his assistant Cory McGrath and Braden Padmore were selected in the side.

While Moonee Valley has not lost any players at this stage, it has wasted no time working to strengthen its line-up.

“Definitely Cory McGrath and myself haven’t taken it lightly and we’ve gone pretty hard at speaking to players and getting players on board,” Carroll said.

“We have really targeted some players we think we need and there’s six who have jumped on board already.”

While the senior team failed to claim the ultimate prize, the club’s reserves and under-19s tasted premiership success.

Carroll also pointed to the fact more than 40 players experienced senior football this year and he will enter 2019 with much greater knowledge of the capabilities of his squad.

“This pre-season will be a more complicated one as far as structures go,” he said.

“I had to be very cautious going into a new club not knowing what the players were capable of, so now that we do know there will be a bit more complication with structures and set-ups and that sort of thing.”