EDFL 2021: Avondale Heights signs ex-VFL player Cameron Holdsworth
The top-flight EDFL club has been boosted by a key signing after conquering the reigning premier in Round 4.
Essendon
Don't miss out on the headlines from Essendon. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Avondale Heights’ hopes of building on an impressive start to the Essendon District Football League season have been bolstered by the return of Cameron Holdsworth.
Coach Paddy Byrne said the former VFL-listed player would be a key inclusion in the second half of the campaign after Holdsworth builds his fitness through the club’s reserves side.
Holdsworth made 13 senior appearances for Coburg state league level, including 11 in 2017.
He had planned not to take the field this season after kicking 19 goals from 16 games for Western Region league outfit Sunshine in 2019.
“He’s a quality player, we’ve just got to get him fit,” Byrne said of Holdsworth, who played two matches for the Heights in 2014.
“He obviously hasn’t had a pre-season, COVID off, he’s got some work to do on the fitness side.
“I think he’s got probably a month of hard work ahead of him to be honest.
“But I think he can really add something to us in the back half of the year.”
Holdsworth will bring versatility, having spent time in the midfield and up forward in the VFL, while he also filled a defensive role at Sunshine.
He joins his brother Jayden, who made his senior debut in the Heights memorable victory over Keilor on Saturday.
“He’s just got the itch to pull them back on, which is good for us,” Byrne said.
“I think that’s seven sets of brothers we have now.”
Avondale Heights is 2-2 in 2021 after inflicting Maribyrnong Park’s only defeat of the season and conquering defending premier Keilor.
It has fixtures against winless Craigieburn (10th), Glenroy (ninth) and Essendon Doutta Stars (eighth) in the next three rounds, but Byrne said there was no room for complacency.
“It’s really important they play the way we have been and don’t drop off,” he said.
“The next three are winnable for us and it would be brilliant to get to a 5-2 (win-loss) situation, but we’ll (focus on Craigieburn on Saturday) first.
“It’s certainly important to take every game very seriously, as we proved last week. Not a lot of people would have thought we’d beat Keilor.”
How ex-AFL player fits into Horne’s Moonee Valley plan
New Moonee Valley coach Andrew Horne has outlined his plans for the EDFL club as with the start of his reign bolstered by an ex-AFL player.
Every signing of the EDFL off-season
The EDFL off-season has only just started but some clubs have already well and truly started making moves for 2025. Keep up to date with every signing in our signing tracker.