EDFL 2021 scores: How Coburg Districts plans to rebound

The EDFL Division 2 club is 2-4 after qualifying for finals in 2019 with some noteworthy names missing. Lions coach Tom Gleeson gives an update on the health of his list.

Coburg Districts’ George Pilipasidis is put under pressure against Jacana on Saturday. Picture: Steve Tanner

Coburg Districts is poised to welcome some key inclusions after the bye as the club looks to launch a push for an Essendon District Football League Division 2 finals berth.

The Lions will tackle East Sunbury at Cole Reserve this weekend before a break on May 29.

But first-year playing coach Tom Gleeson expects his line-up to be strengthened from next month, with Coburg Districts 2-4 after finishing fourth in 2019.

Matt Vesnaver and Tom Lucin, who are two of the leading players in Division 2, are yet to take the field this season, while reigning best-and-fairest winner Spencer Aitken has been limited to one senior game.

Key signing Cooper Keogh has been limited to three appearances because of injury, but is set to return after the bye.

Fellow recruits Ryan Evison and Ben Storer have not been seen at senior level, with Storer making one appearance in the reserves.

Gleeson also confirmed 2017 league best-and-fairest winner Luke Vesnaver would not play in 2021.

Coburg Districts’ playing coach Tom Gleeson. Picture: Steve Tanner

“We’re missing some talent, that’s for sure, but you can’t blame that,” Gleeson said.

“But we’ll get some back after the bye and kick-start our season from there.

“I won’t tell you who they’ll be because I don’t want people planning for it, but we’ll get a few back, that’s for sure.”

The Lions dropped their opening three games of the campaign, but have since scored convincing wins over Northern Saints (45 points) and rebuilding Jacana (175 points), while they went down to second-ranked Oak Park by eight points in an encouraging performance.

They also challenged undefeated ladder-leader Moonee Valley for a half in Round 2 before conceding eight goals to three after the main break to lose by 39 points.

But Gleeson said his team was heading in the right direction.

“We just probably didn’t perform to the expectations we wanted to perform to,” he said of the 0-3 start.

Star midfielder Ben Fisher is enjoying another superb season after he was named in the Team of the Year in 2019, while big man Keogh has been named in Coburg Districts’ best in of his three outings.

“We’ve been unlucky with Cooper. He plays one week and then doesn’t play the other,” Gleeson said.

“He’s had a few injuries, but we’ll get him back after the bye.

“Fisher has been outstanding. He had a season of senior footy under his belt, has trained during the year that he had off and he’s flying.”

Sebastian Jansen has impressed in the ruck in Keogh’s absence, while 17-year-old Will Banks, Justin Blackley, Ricky McGill and Tom Lay have also shone.

Moonee Valley and Oak Park have established themselves as the pacesetters in Division 2, but Gleeson said it was not a two-horse race for the flag.