EDFL 2018: Westmeadows boost attacking half by signing Mitch Church for 2019

A proven goalkicker has put pen to paper with Essendon District Football League club Westmeadows for 2019 after a season away.

Mitch Church has returned to Westmeadows. Picture: Tim Carrafa

PROVEN goalkicker Mitch Church has put pen to paper with Essendon District Football League club Westmeadows for 2019 after a season away.

Church contributed 53 goals from 15 games for finalist Hillside in Division 1 this year and bagged 38 goals from 12 matches for the Tigers in 2017.

He managed nine goals from two outings against Westmeadows this season and coach Grant Smith said the club’s commitment to youth was one of the key factors in Church’s decision to return.

“Churchy said he really missed it, being away from the club, and he wanted to help out with that sort of thing,” Smith said.

Dean Clare, who kicked 29 goals this year, is yet to sign on for 2019 as he considers offers from Premier Division clubs, while Smith also has high hopes for teenager Cody Wight.

“We think if we’ve got those three running around down deep and we’ve got a couple of good half-forwards pushing up the ground, then it really gives us more options than we had last year with just Dean being the main focus,” Smith said.

“Churchy is obviously a power athlete, so we can use him in a few different roles if we want to.”

Mitch Church has returned to Westmeadows. Picture: Tim Carrafa

But Westmeadows’ most significant acquisitions could come off the ground, with Mo Kaakour and Lloyd Campbell bolstering Smith’s coaching team.

Campbell, who has been appointed senior assistant, is an ex-coach at Keilor and St Albans and also held the top job at reserves level at Williamstown and Port Melbourne. He is a former member of Port Adelaide’s AFL recruiting department.

Kaakour will be director of coaching after being Robbie Castello’s assistant at Maribyrnong Park this year.

“We’ve sort of got him in … to give him the opportunity to run a footy program to see how he goes without the pressure of actually being the senior coach,” Smith said.

“He can just get stuck into all the footy dynamics like the list and the game plan.

“He’s played at a lot of clubs, both in EDFL and WRFL, and has a much bigger network than me to attract players to the club.”

Ryan Capron, Clayton Campbell Jesse Bates and Mitch O’Neill are among those to have re-signed, while Daniel Willcocks has returned. Brad Sutcliffe, who has crossed to Port Melbourne Colts, is the only departure of note.

After claiming just three wins this year, Westmeadows is setting its sights much for higher next season.

“Mo has about eight or nine players lined-up, ex-Marby and West Coburg and VFL players, that we’re talking to,” Smith said.

“We’ve shored up our budget position and we know what we can offer, so we’re going to go pretty hard at some of these blokes.

“We knew our under-19s were going to come under attack, which they did from a few other Division 1 clubs, so we spent the first three weeks after the season finished just signing up all of our young kids.

“We’ve got all of them except one or two, who are going to have a crack with Premier Division clubs, which is good. I really encourage that.”