EDFL: How East Sunbury plans to rebound in 2021
Can East Sunbury rediscover the form that lifted it to the 2018 EDFL Division 2 grand final? Reappointed coach Glenn Hopkins addresses the big question.
Local Footy
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East Sunbury coach Glenn Hopkins denies the Essendon District Football League Division 2 club has a point to prove in 2021.
There were several reasons behind the Thunder’s slide last season after a grand final appearance the previous year, but Hopkins said improvement across the whole club was the priority.
The experienced mentor, who took over the top job midway through the 2018 campaign and steered East Sunbury to a maiden decider, has recommitted for next season.
“The club is going in the right direction,” Hopkins said.
“We’re trying to reset a few things with the president (Glenn Smerdon), who’s a good footy man and a good administrator. It’s important we keep that momentum going so we just wanted to keep it all moving forward with a set foundation.
“Establishing our club as a good footy club, a good community club – that’s been my ethos all along. I think that’s what we’re after, to build a solid foundation that people are happy to be a part of. That’s the No.1 thing for us.
“We’ve got new facilities, we’ve got two grounds now, new social rooms, the netball centre – all that stuff is built around our footy club having a solid base in the community.”
Hopkins believed East Sunbury “recruited well enough” to push for a finals berth this year.
Tom Evans, Ryan Peters (both Diggers Rest), Jake Cronin (Greenvale) and Joel Butler (Tallangatta) were among the ins, while Jack Burnell returned from a stint at Rupertswood.
They have re-signed for next season as the Thunder looks to rebound from a sixth-placed finish last year.
The club waved goodbye to the likes of Jorden Braddy, Brad Bernacki and Connor Lever after its grand final defeat, robbing a young group of valuable experience.
“We lost a lot of experienced guys last year, so we needed to bring some experience in,” Hopkins said.
The Thunder also failed to field an under-19 team in 2019 and did not have enough numbers for an under-18 side this year.
But Hopkins said East Sunbury was confident of providing that pathway next season, which played an important role in its rise.
He said “three of four” under-16 players had the opportunity to train with the senior squad before the campaign was canned.
“Next year is a long way off … but we think we’re going in the right direction to get into the finals and lift our profile, which we’re trying to do,” Hopkins said.
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