Local footy: EDFL Division 2 preview, analysis for 2021 season
Ahead of the first bounce, we analyse each club, detail the key ins and outs and give our predictions for 2021.
Essendon
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The first bounce of the Essendon District Football League season is just eight days away and anticipation is high after the cancelled 2020 season.
Keilor Park will host Coburg Districts on Good Friday (April 2), while six other clubs start their campaigns on April 10.
In other Round 1 matches, Jacana returns to the EDFL ranks against Oak Park, Hadfield hosts East Sunbury and Burnside Heights take on Moonee Valley in a blockbuster match-up.
Northern Saints have a delayed start courtesy of a bye first-up.
Here’s how all nine clubs are shaping up after a long off-season.
Burnside Heights
Coach: Aidan Stott
2019 finish: Third
Ins: Adam Imber (Westbourne Grammarians), Anthony Petrarca (Hillside), Gabriel Cristiano (Aberfeldie), Daniel Delaney (Apollo Bay), Ben Cappelli (Caroline Springs), Omar Ali (St Albans)
Outs: Rhys Bucktin, Claudio Campos, Michael Krajina
Predicted finish: Top four
The Bears contested finals for the first time in 2019, advancing to the penultimate weekend of the season before being eliminated by Round 1 opponent Moonee Valley.
With minimal outs and several young players coming in, anything other than a finals appearance would be viewed as a disappointing outcome.
Burnside Heights has plenty of talent in Anthony Fawcus, Adam Sullivan, Jordan Hughes and prolific forward Josh Covelli and should expect to challenge the competition’s sides.
Coburg Districts
Coach: Tom Gleeson (new)
2019 finish: Fourth
Ins: Ryan Evison (Trafalgar), Ben Storer (Oak Park), Cooper Keogh (Therry Penola), Luigi Oppedisano (Mernda)
Outs: Aiden Giove, Justin Lumsden, Callum Moore, Nick Sim, Scott Gilliland
Prediction: 4-6
The Lions have a stable senior squad as Tom Gleeson prepares for his first season as playing coach after being appointed for 2020.
Nick Sim, who finished fifth in the best-and-fairest in 2019, is the only significant out and the club has landed some important inclusions. On the negative side, key 2020 recruit Hayden Wright has exited.
But with Gleeson, Tom Lucin, Luke Vesnaver, Matt Vesnaver, Ben Fisher and Spencer Aitken at their disposal, expect Coburg Districts to figure strongly.
East Sunbury
Coach: Glenn Hopkins
2019 finish: Sixth
Ins: Rhys Gardener (Broadford), Tom Evans (Diggers Rest), Ryan Peters (Diggers Rest), Jake Cronin (Greenvale), Joel Butler (Tallangatta), Jack Burnell (Rupertswood), Frank Violi (Nyah Nyah West United)
Outs: Tom Cree, Caine Schofield, James Ellis, Chris Kendall
Predicted finish: 4-6
Can the Thunder rediscover the form that took it to the grand final in 2018?
Glenn Hopkins’ side has secured a handy list of recruits headlined returning defender Rhys Gardener, who claimed East Sunbury’s best and fairest in 2016 and finished runner-up in the Riddell District league’s top individual award in 2019 when he was at Broadford.
2019 best and fairest Tom Cree is a major out, but the likes of Kamen Ogilvie, Lucas Shaw and Tom Godsell will have a big influence on the Thunder’s fortunes this year.
Hadfield
Coach: Brett Pitts
2019 finish: Seventh
Ins: Steve Golding, Tom McIntosh, Peter Di Cecco (all Glenroy), Scott Gilliland (Coburg Districts), Mark Sabatino (Northern Saints), Keegan Shrimpton (Oak Park), Donovan Pell, Andrew Budge (both Yarragon), Callum Moore (Coburg Districts)
Outs: Brandon Smith, Jacob Dyer, Omar Taleb
Predicted finish: 4-6
The Hawks were set to be the competition’s big improvers before the 2020 season was canned, and there is no reason to think otherwise this year.
While big man Brandon Smith, who finished runner-up in the club’s best and fairest in 2018, has moved interstate, the list of inclusions is impressive.
The likes of Golding, McIntosh and Di Cecco bring Premier Division experience from Glenroy, while Hadfield stars Zac Polizzi and Andrew Trende are among those to have stayed put. Finals is not beyond Hadfield.
Jacana
Coach: Glenn McIntyre (new)
2019 finish: Ninth
Predicted finish: Ninth
The Jaguars last played an official match in May, 2019, as they went into recess on the back of a player exodus and financial issues.
Development will be the focus for the club this season, with several inexperienced players set to take the field.
Corey McCawley and Bryce Dodge, the two remaining members of Jacana’s 2017 premiership side, have returned after playing for Oak Park in 2019, but Glenn McIntyre’s team will be looking for the little wins this year.
Keilor Park
Coach: Paul Guicas (new)
2019 finish: Eighth
Ins: Daylan Kempster (Sunbury), Jarryd Dawson (Braybrook), Adam Harris (Avondale Heights), James Guicas (East Keilor), Hayden McLardy (PEGS), James Mifsud (Hillside), Daniel Mifsud (Caroline Springs)
Outs: Tamer Abou-Sinna, Mark Kelly, Pierre Labigang, Donato Monello, Liam Salter
Predicted finish: Eighth
Keilor Park completed a winless season in 2019 after spending the previous year in recess and were on the receiving end of several floggings.
But the Devils will be a much more formidable side in 2021 and while they are not expected to make a serious push for the top four, they will cause plenty of headaches for opposition teams along the way.
Coach Paul Guicas believes Keilor Park has recruited well, with former VFL player and new skipper Kempster headlining the signings.
Moonee Valley
Coach: Shanon Carroll
2019 finish: Second
Ins: Sam O’Brien (Maribyrnong Park), Alex Gleeson (Hampton), Jordan Whybrow (Aberfeldie), James McLuckie (Melbourne High School Old Boys), Bevan Newell (Hillside), Jack Vivian (PEGS), Nick Sim (Coburg Districts), Mitch Collins, Bill Hansen, Kane Timmins, Liam Sabri (all Modewarre), Noah Capozza (Aberfeldie)
Outs: Jonathan Mullins, Curtis Somers
Predicted finish: Top two
The undisputed premiership favourite. The Fog have not suffered any significant departures since its 2019 grand final defeat and have added ample experience.
The fact Moonee Valley has significantly bolstered a line-up which came within 16 points of a premiership two years ago is a frightening prospect for rivals.
Jacana (2015), Roxburgh Park (2016), Coburg Districts (2017) and East Sunbury (2018) have all failed to make finals 12 months after losing a Division 2 decider, but it will take something special to beat the Fog this year.
Moonee Valley is well-led by coach Shanon Carroll, who has steered it to finals in each of his two seasons at the helm, and boasts some of the competition’s blue-chip performers in Cory McGrath, Braden Padmore, Luke Ryan and Rocky Ferraro.
Northern Saints
Coach: Peter Lohner (new)
2019 finish: Fifth
Ins: Ali Abou-Eid (Hadfield), Mahmoud Taleb (Westmeadows), Cameron Kennedy, Anthony Petrocco (both Pascoe Vale)
Outs: Kynan Barnes, Matthew D’Angelo, Bradwell Dick, Daniel Gennaccaro, Sam Malual, Jake McSwain, Jalen Oakley, Mark Sabatino,
Predicted finish: 5-7
The Saints appeared to be in a rebuilding phase before the 2020 season was canned as several big names exited.
But they have since regained stars Tamer Abdallah and Eliot Kako, while Mahmoud Taleb and Ali Abou-Eid have also returned to the club, putting them in a good position for Peter Lohner’s first season at the helm.
Finals appear beyond the young Saints, who have lost three of their top four goalkickers from 2019 (Sabatino, Oakley, Dick) along with Team of the Year defender McSwain. But they should not be taken lightly.
Oak Park
Coach: Todd Clark (new)
2019 finish: Ninth (in Division 1)
Ins: Blair Cronin, Travis Anderson (both Tullamarine), Ryan Smith (Timboon Demons), Michael Peart (Woodend-Hesket), Isaac Willett (Wangaratta Rovers), Lachlan Busk (Yarraville-Seddon)
Outs: Bryce Dodge, Michael Dalrymple, Kirk Lang, Liam Lucas, Corey McCawley, Adam Meiorin, Mitchell Robinson
Predicted finish: Top four
One of the flag favourites, but you won’t hear coach Todd Clark making any bold declarations.
The Kangaroos have secured the returns of four players who will make them stronger – Cronin, Anderson, Peart and Willett – while midfielder/defender Smith is a well-credentialed senior player.
The top five from the 2019 best-and-fairest – Danny Rajab, Liam Molloy, Harrison Wilson, Jack Kennedy and Jack Pascu – have also stayed put, meaning Oak Park should feature in finals after tasting just 13 wins in the past three seasons in Division 1.
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