EDFL: Marty Allison named Strathmore coach as premiership heroes retire
Change is on the way at EDFL premier Strathmore with a new coach appointed and grand final heroes departing the club.
Essendon
Don't miss out on the headlines from Essendon. Followed categories will be added to My News.
You might remember Strathmore’s new coach.
Marty Allison has returned for a second stint in charge of the Essendon District Football League Premier Division premiers almost 20 years after first taking charge.
Earlier this week, Allison was named as premiership coach Matt Horne’s replacement as the Mores embark on a new era in 2023.
Allison previously led the club through the 2003 and 2004 seasons where they finished fifth on both occasions.
His work since has included time at the Calder Cannons, with Essendon’s James Hird Academy and as an interleague coach for the EDFL.
Strathmore president John Elliott believes the club has landed on the right appointment.
“We’re very excited to have him back, Marty has achieved a lot since he was last here,” he said.
“He won’t just be our senior football coach but he will be in charge of development as a whole. He’ll work with our junior coaches to continue building on that part of the club.
“We’ve invested a lot of money in our juniors over the last 10 years and you reap those rewards when you see so many homegrown talents in your senior side, we had 16 in the premiership team this year.
“The days are gone where you can go out and buy a premiership. We’re looking forward to continue moving on as a footy club.”
A coaching switch won’t be the only changes at Lebanon Reserve ahead of next season.
The Mores have already seen three premiership heroes depart the club while Will Jury, the EDFL league best-and-fairest, has signed with Williamstown in the VFL and is expected to earn plenty of opportunities at state league level.
On Thursday, Strathmore confirmed premiership captain Sam O’Loughlin would be hanging up the boots alongside Matthew Knight.
Gun midfielder Nick O’Brien has signed with his junior club Carngham Linton in the Central Highlands League.
“We’re going to keep about 90 per cent of our list together,” Elliott said.
“We’ve got a good retention system which comes down to the culture. A lot of people who come to Strathmore don’t leave.
“We don’t just recruit people on their football ability but their values in life. There’s a lot of good under 18 kids coming through which is only going to help with our homegrown philosophy.
“But we’ll look to add a couple as well.”
Ranked: The ex-AFL players who lit up local footy this year
From the bush to the ‘burbs, former AFL players thrilled local football crowds across all corners of the state this year. We’ve named the best – and ranked the top 15. See who heads the list.
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.