EDFL 2021: Pascoe Vale signs Michael Sikora, Giles Guest returns
The Essendon District Football League will have no shortage of star big men in 2021 — and Pascoe Vale’s combo will test rivals.
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Pascoe Vale is set to roll out a powerful ruck combination it believes can severely test Essendon District Football League Premier Division rivals in 2021.
Former VFL big man Michael Sikora has returned to the Panthers in a boost, while Giles Guest will take the field again this year after he was absent for the entire 2019 campaign because of a knee injury.
Pascoe Vale coach Digby Morrell, who has completed one season at the helm, said his side was exposed in the ruck two years ago as it suffered a heavy elimination final defeat against Strathmore.
Former VFL star Nick Meese has linked up with Aberfeldie, while Reynolds medallist and ex-AFL player Andrew Browne has returned to Keilor.
There is no shortage of quality ruckmen in the top flight, with Fabian Deluca (Greenvale) and Andrew Vavra (Strathmore) named in the 2019 Team of the Year.
“We probably were found out in the final we played in 2019 against Strathmore,” Morrell said.
“We were really beaten around the ball and the one thing we identified that we really needed to invest in was a good, big ruckman, and we had Guesty obviously coming back from a knee.
“Then Michael came up, he’d been at the club before, and the guys who were at Pascoe Vale when he was there spoke really highly of him.
“It’s great to get him on board. At 208cm, he’s a big, solid boy and that’s exactly what we want in our ruck division.
“We think we’ve built a really strong midfield core and that was probably the link that was a little bit short. We’re looking forward to seeing what they can do as a group.”
Sikora had a season at Pascoe Vale in 2014 before crossing to Strathmore the following year.
He has also had stints with Rowville and Doveton and finished equal fourth in the Eastern league’s best-and-fairest in 2017.
Sikora has experience with four state league clubs — Williamstown, Essendon, Sandringham, Frankston — and represented the VFL in 2013.
Morrell said Sikora was a good tap ruckman, athletic and would clear space for the Panthers’ midfielders.
He added Sikora and Guest could spend time in the attacking 50m arc to ease the load on spearhead Matthew Watson, who has booted 125 goals in the past two seasons.
“We really want to take a bit of heat off Watto forward of the ball,” Morrell said.
“Obviously both those boys are over 200cm tall, so that really stretches some defences out there.”
Pascoe Vale will have the chance to showcase some big-name signings in 2021, headlined by Nick Parthenopoulos, Damandeep Aujla, Sam Godden, Nick Linton, Nick Gooch, Daniel Guccione, Daniel Sharrock and Gerard Sharrock
Liam Forbes and Corey Le Favi have also re-joined the club after they were set to take the field for Airport West in 2020.
Morrell praised his players for sticking with the Panthers after the salary cap was slashed to $100,000.
“Our guys have been absolutely first-rate in accepting that pay cut’s been required to keep our group together, and that’s exactly what they’ve done,” he said.
“We really haven’t lost anyone, which has been really pleasing.
“We think we’re starting to put together a group that can now be really competitive against those top sides.”
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