EDFL 2019: Avondale Heights loses Cameron Wood, Dennis Armfield
Avondale Heights has farewelled several key players over the off-season, leaving it with an enormous task to compete against the competition’s elite in 2019.
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Avondale Heights has farewelled several key players over the off-season, leaving it with an enormous task to compete against the competition’s elite in 2019.
The Heights, who finished seventh last year, will again field a new-look side as they investigate measures to avoid a repeat of the player drain which has hampered the EDFL Premier Division club in recent seasons.
Luke Edwards, who coach Donald McDonald described as “probably our best player”, headlines the departures, while former AFL big man Cameron Wood and ex-VFL forward Scott Clouston have retired.
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Another man with AFL experience, Dennis Armfield, has taken on the top job at Park Orchards, while Charlie Nastasi, Matthew Evans, Domenic Iermano, Jordan McIvor-Clark and Koe Ngawati have also left.
“We’ve had an enormous amount of change, particularly with our senior players,” McDonald said.
“We’ve probably lost 10 of our starting 18 and then probably another six players who have played a senior game, so there’s 16 players. Then we probably lost another 12 the previous year.
“So we’ve lost 28 who have played at least one game of senior footy in the last two years. It’s also the fact we’ve really struggled to put our under-19s together the last two years and then we’ve always struggled to have enough numbers for the reserves.
“Once I decided to coach again, I think the No.1 priority was being able to get enough players to fill the firsts, seconds and thirds teams.
“The great thing is I think we’re not far off being in a position to do that.”
The club has retained best and fairest winner Ciaran Sheehan, while Mathew Cravino has been appointed captain.
On the plus side, Ruairi Cleary, Donnacadh Cleary, Matthew Borg and Anastasis Dounias have arrived from West Coburg, while Williamstown’s Hisham Kerbatieh has signed on as an aligned player.
Sean Bolger and Luke McLeod, who played one senior game between them last season, are set to return, while McDonald has high hopes for youngsters Jackson Robb, Bradley Robb, Jacob Cutri, Anthony Bonaguro and Darcy McPherson.
Avondale Heights last contested top-flight finals in 2014 and has claimed 14 wins in the past three years.
“We’ve never had a big junior base and that’s our challenge going forward – to really bring in the 18, 19, 20-year-olds, and hopefully we can keep them at our club,” McDonald said.
“Our focus is seeing if we can mould together a really competitive side and just create some real opportunity for young guys who want to stay here for a few years.”
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