EDFL 2021: Avondale Heights shaking up Premier Division pecking order

Avondale Heights has already bettered its wins tally from three of the past four seasons in 2021 and fielded a side with 20 one-point players on Saturday.

Brad Robb was best afield for the Heights, booting four goals from the midfield. Picture: Hamish Blair

Avondale Heights entered 2021 with 18 wins from the past four Essendon District Football League Premier Division seasons.

The club returned four victories in 2016, 2018 and 2019 and claimed six in 2017.

On Saturday, the rejuvenated Heights extended their winning run to four games and improved their record to 5-2 with a hard-fought 12-point triumph over Essendon Doutta Stars.

It is their best start to a season since 2014, when they last contested finals after starting 11-0.

Avondale Heights’ two losses came against Pascoe Vale (6 points) and Aberfeldie (28 points) in the opening three weeks of the campaign, while it has knocked off defending premier Keilor.

While tough fixtures against Strathmore and Greenvale await to round out the first half of the season, the Heights are a much-improved outfit under first-year coach Patrick Byrne.

And they are threatening to shake-up the pecking order in a top flight some believe has suffered from the dominance of the competition’s elite.

First-year Avondale Heights coach Paddy Byrne. Picture: Hamish Blair

“We’ve got a pretty young side and they young players have all improved, and they’re all about 21, 22, 23 (years old),” Byrne said.

“They came back (after the cancelled 2020 season) in pretty good nick. They’re bigger, stronger and just playing better footy. That certainly helps.”

Stability has also been vital.

The Heights’ list has changed significantly in recent years, creating a player points squeeze that led to them fielding only 21 players in a 2019 fixture.

On Saturday, their team took up just 25 of the available 47 points.

In an encouraging sign for the future, 20 players were allotted one point, with recruits Nathan Croft (three) and Dom Makur (two) the exceptions.

It is a far different scenario to two years ago when 11 senior players exited as Byrne arrived as a senior assistant.

Essendon Doutta Stars’ Karl Brown and Avondale Heights’ Tom Russell contest the ruck. Picture: Hamish Blair

“Player retention I think is just crucial, for any footy club,” Byrne said.

“They’re all enjoying each other’s company, so nine times out of 10 that’s the key to it.

“We’ve got some deficiencies in the squad, so hopefully it makes it easier to attract the blokes that you need to make you better, which has always been a pretty hard gig in the past.”

The Heights led at each break on the weekend, but could not establish an advantage of significance against a plucky Stars side.

Byrne said his side was hampered by a “really bad second quarter” and inaccuracy in front of goal.

“We had some really easy set shots that we missed that probably would have made it look a little bit different,” he said.

“We weren’t at our best, but our first quarter and last quarter were pretty good … I think we had about 16 inside 50s in both of those quarters and didn’t take the opportunities real well. But the actual general play was pretty good.

“They came to play and they’re actually not too bad around the footy with (Jordan) Schroder and their other midfielders.

“They’re reasonably tall up forward and we have a bit of trouble with tall forward lines because we don’t have a lot of tall backmen.”

Brad Robb earned best-afield honours, racking up about 35 touches and booting four goals from the midfield.

Jackson Robb also fired in the middle, while Danko Bzenic, Matt Cravino, Josiah Garisto and Makur also impressed the coach.

The Heights will host ladder-leader Strathmore in Round 8.