All the ins, outs and key talking points from the EDFL Premier Division
Can Keilor be stopped? Will a big off-season lift another EDFL Premier Division side to premiership glory? Those are the big questions ahead of the season. We break down every club.
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Can anyone stop Keilor in season 2024?
It’s the big question heading into the EDFL Premier Division campaign.
Mick McGuane’s side stormed to an unbeaten premiership last season and their rivals have hit the recruiting market in order to close the gap.
Ahead of round one, we’ve broken down every club to see where they sit in the race for the top-five.
ABERFELDIE
Coaches: Ben Ronke and Clay Illman
In: Cam McLeod, Ben Ronke, Sam Medland, Sam Beckinsale, Gabriel Cristiano, Matt Weber, Tom Pound, Heath Ollington, Ayden Trinh, Declan Aylward, Josh Wratten.
Out: Sam Cattapan, Jack Mapleson, Lucas Rocci, Robert Paradzayi.
We say: The first thing Abers needs under its new coaches is a bit of luck on the injury front after a horror run last season. Several of the recruits in the off-season are returning players and will give the coaching staff greater scope when it comes to team selection. If they can stay healthy, there’s no reason, Abers won’t finish in the top-five this season. There’s too much quality in this list to not push for finals footy.
AIRPORT WEST
Coach: Brent Taylor
In: Jed Brereton, Ahmed Zahraman, Cooper Janevski, Matthew Hanson, Mick Edwards, Frank Papaleo, Connor Leeflang, John Delacoe, Willem Eager, Chris Nield, Jackson Connor, John Roumeliotis, Tarkan Yilmaz, Anthony Mardini, Yusuf Abdullatif.
Out: Elijah Wood, Charlie Di Stefano, Stuart Hobijn-Allen, Brandon Raad, Marwan Abdul-Wahad, Muhammad Saad, Musa Hussain.
We say: The Eagles were super competitive in their return to the top flight last season, eventually finishing with a 6-12 record. Under new coach Brent Taylor, they’ve laid the platform to potentially make a finals push in what will be an intriguing division. The recruits will give Taylor more depth to work with while Nield’s arrival can seriously help bolster the scoring power. Ex-VFL man Matt Hanson looms as one of the recruits of the season.
AVONDALE HEIGHTS
Coach: Paddy Byrne
In: Liam Bianco, Danko Bzenic, Thomas Clark, Daniel Gervasoni, Myles Gollant, Zayas Leonedas, Liam Amit, Muharem Muja, Lachlan O’Hara, Patrick Payne, Nathan Ryan, James Sheridan, Jack Stratford, Vetim Aliaj, Bayden Mom, Andrew Bellinger, Jaiden Martin, Tom Gleeson, Liam Jacobs, Marcus Currenti, Dylan Stapleton, Joshua Browne, Jack Ziebell, Brody Watts, Anthony Curtis.
Out: Rocco Tripodi, Silver Yousif, Aaron Clarke, Tom Hird, Cam McLeod, Jhdara Jones, Ned Hawkins, Jake Oliveri, Aidyn Johnson.
We say: Heights avoided relegation with three wins last season and in 2024 will see Byrne return to the top job. While there have been several key departures, an influx of new players will give the Byrne some greater depth to work with. Importantly, the club also has an under-18s team this season which should help not only in the short-term but beyond this season too.
DEER PARK
Coach: Jamie Madigan
In: Josh Chatfield, Steve Georgiou, Mason Crozier, Diesel Moloney, Jamieson House, Anthony Daw, Majak Daw, Mutaz El Nour, Josh Cooper, Jack Noonan.
Out: Mark Nicholls, Lachlan Smart, Tim Quick, Taygen Dennison, Kobe Brown, Nash Holmes, Kevin Johnson.
We say: One of the most intriguing sides to keep an eye on throughout the entire EDFL this season. The Lions are set to embark on their maiden Premier Division campaign after joining the league in 2023. Majak Daw’s late addition gives Jamie Madigan another key position prospect, especially forward of centre. The playing list does look a little different to last year’s premiership after the departure of several players but the Lions have topped up with high quality recruits. A huge first up test against Keilor awaits. Don’t be surprised if they push for finals.
EAST KEILOR
Coaches: Ali Hamad and Pat Christofi
In: Danny Lee Rigby, Abdul Abdo, Mohammed El Souki, Michael Dalrymple, Robbie McComb, Tom Silvagni, Tim Quick, Dean Roberts, Izzy Moussa, Mitch Havard, Reuben William, Mark Nicholls, Aliyy Elmaghraby, Lachlan Smart, Hussein Kadour, Tyson Old, Nayef Hamad.
Out: Cam Wild, Lindon Bektash, Austin Harris, Mark Mazzeo, Chris Stewart, Nicholas Grabowski
We say: It’s been another busy off-season at Overland Reserve at the Cougars continue to add to their playing stocks to provide greater depth. The club took a big step forward with a finals appearance and will again be confident of making a push towards the pointy end of the ladder.
ESSENDON DOUTTA STARS
Coach: Barry Prendergast
In: Bailey Ryan, Michael Kiraly, Noah Weihrauch, Andre Laycock, Bayley Overend, Kelton Overend, Dylan Laurie, James De Virgilio, Julian Callegari
Out: Billy Cootee, Campbell Wearne, Ethan Sivijs, James Harrold, Jordan Davis, Tom Wallis, Zach Hijazi.
We say: Barry Prendergast will lead the Stars for a second season as he looks for further development from his young group. While several players who played senior footy last season are gone, there is a sense of excitement surrounding the players who have joined the club in the off-season. Douttas won five games last season and will be determined to build on those performances and climb further up the ladder.
GREENVALE
Coach: Darren Bewick
In: Ray Murphy, Baker Smith, Josh Porter, Dylan Watts, William Madden, Michael Baccari.
Out: Nat Caruso, Fort Caruso, Trent Warren, Addam Maric.
We say: While the Jets might have lost some of their most important players, there’s still plenty of optimism they can charge towards the finals again after a fifth-place finish last season. Porter returning to local level on a full-time basis is a major boost while the other recruits appear to be quality. Bewick’s side will find themselves in a log jam for the top-five race which should create for an exciting season.
KEILOR
Coach: Mick McGuane
In: Jermarl Daly, Cody Brand, Matthew Bartlett, Josh Honey, Will Burke
Out: Matthew Clark, Jonathan Marsh
We say: The question remains, can anyone stopped the powerful Blues? Their Good Friday win over Strathmore once again proved Mick McGuane’s side are the team to beat in season 2024. Having lost just two premiership stars over the off-season, you could argue McGuane’s side has become stronger and it’s going to be difficult to beat them again. Ex-AFL duo Cody Brand and Josh Honey could have a big impact. The big question mark remains over the ruck stocks with several players set to help fill the role, although it shouldn’t cause too much concern. Could Keilor go through undefeated again?
PASCOE VALE
Coach: Leigh Tudor
In: Jeremy Rodi, Jared Eckersley, Mohammed Yassine, Jake Moorhead, Jye Piescik, Mitch Egan, Ethan Ritchie, Ahmed Saad, Cooper Richardson, Lukas Dimech, Robert Ahern, Matthew Verduci, Ryan Bagaric, Liam Bagaric, Muhammad Said, Christian Scarpino.
Out: Michael Sikora, Brad Inglis, Zain Yamak, Ben McDonell
We say: One of the big movers of the off-season with ex-Essendon VFL coach Leigh Tudor now in the top job. The Panthers are always around the mark on paper but haven’t quite yet taken the next step in recent seasons. A new look finals series with a top-five, meaning the three highest placed teams all get a double chance, could prove pivotal later in the year. The recruits Tudor has brought on board are all high quality and how quickly they adapt to Premier Division footy could determine how this side is set up for success this season.
STRATHMORE
Coach: Nick Ash
In: Cale Du Plessis, Trent Dumont, Sam O’Loughlin, Nick Ingleton, Zen Sell, Todd Oakley, Shaun McKernan, Luke Holian.
Out: Xavier Allison, Tom Condon, Jack Condon, Lachlan Johnson, Jack Duggan, Nicholas Fluke.
We say: It’s a third coach in as many seasons for the Mores who have won one and lost one of the last two grand finals. The playing stocks have seen a changing of the guard in the 0ff-season with some fresh faces, most notably ex-AFL duo Shaun McKernan and Trent Dumont, brought in to help keep the competition powerhouse towards the top of the ladder. As they always do, the next wave of junior stars will be determined to make an impact in the senior side. Finals footy for Nick Ash’s side seems guaranteed.
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