Local footy: EDFL Premier Division top 25 players of the 2021 season
Who have been the standouts in the first seven rounds? We name the top 25 EDFL Premier Division players, with some big names left out.
Essendon
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There have been no shortage of influential performers through the opening seven rounds of the Essendon District Football League Premier Division season.
Stars from Strathmore and Keilor – the competition’s top-two clubs – feature prominently in our top 25 of 2021.
Big names such as Dean Galea, Matt Clark, Peter Faulks, Andrew Vavra, Gavin Urquhart and James El Moussalli have played less than four games this season, ruling them ineligible.
Kane Barbuto, Josh Toy, John Bellino, Brandon Ryan, Victor Carboni, Jayden Foster, Karl Brown, Danko Bzenic, Jake Toa, Campbell Wearne and Kyle Weightman were among those unlucky to miss our list, underlining the quality of players running around in the EDFL this year.
Here’s our best – in alphabetical order.
Andrew Browne (Keilor)
The Reynolds medallist and former AFL ruckman remains a formidable opponent after returning to the Blues following a stint with junior club Mansfield. There is no shortage of quality big men in Premier Division, and Browne remains among the best. He will be a key figure in Keilor’s bid for another premiership.
Liam Byrne (Avondale Heights)
The experienced midfielder has been vital in Avondale Heights’ rise this season. Hard at it and described as the club’s “clearance king”, Byrne has three mentions in the best from seven outings and has established himself as a consistent performer.
Liam Cavanagh (Strathmore)
The key defender hit a hot run of form before the season was paused, named in Strathmore’s best two players in wins over Maribyrnong Park, Greenvale and Pascoe Vale last month. Cavanagh’s ability to spoil and read the play makes him a fine defender.
Scott Clarke (Maribyrnong Park)
A Team of the Year player in 2019 and runner-up in the Lions’ best-and-fairest award the past two seasons, Clarke is enjoying another impressive season in the defensive half of the ground after assuming the captaincy. Can also make an impact up forward.
Donnacadh Cleary (Avondale Heights)
The reigning best-and-fairest winner has backed up his outstanding 2019 season with a strong start to 2021. The Coburg-listed midfielder has four mentions in the best from seven appearances and has helped lift the Heights into finals calculations.
Luke Davis (Aberfeldie)
The three-time premiership skipper and two-time Team of the Year representative has led Aberfeldie’s defence with aplomb through the opening seven rounds, earning six mentions in his side’s best players. With Ryan Allan forced to spend more time in the attacking 50m arc, Davis has only enhanced his reputation as one of the competition’s best backmen.
Josiah Garisto (Avondale Heights)
After establishing himself in the senior side in 2019, Garisto has been a model of consistency for the Heights this year. Impressing as an intercept defender, Garisto has been named in his team’s best players five times from seven games and earnt plenty of praise from coach Paddy Byrne.
Adam Iacobucci (Strathmore)
Rarely left out of these lists – and for good reason. A five-time best-and-fairest winner and six-time recipient of Team of the Year honours, Iacobucci has again been a standout performer for the ladder-leading Mores, named in their best three times from seven games.
Luke Jarrad (Strathmore)
A commanding presence across the half-back line for the Mores, the former SANFL star reads the play superbly and rebounds with authority. Since joining Strathmore in 2017, Jarrad has been picked in the Team of the Year in all three seasons, won a club best-and-fairest (2018) and logged top-five finishes in the Reynolds Medal in three consecutive years (runner-up in 2018).
Aaron Kite (Glenroy)
The Roys have struggled to kick goals this season and sit second-last for points scored. But Kite has stood tall with 17 goals from six appearances, including hauls of five against Essendon Doutta Stars and four against Maribyrnong Park. He’s yet to go goal-less and has four mentions in the best.
Nick Meese (Aberfeldie)
The former VFL champion has been outstanding in his first season in the EDFL’s top grade, named in Abers’ best six times from seven appearances and producing dominant performances consistently. Meese has showcased his ability to impact around the ground, while his follow-up work has been typically exemplary. The star big man produced an impressive display in an enthralling duel against Keilor’s Browne on May 8 and is a contender for the Reynolds Medal.
Brodie Meyers (Essendon Doutta Stars)
Meyers has emerged as a consistent performer in his third full season in the EDFL’s top flight. The onballer has been named in the best four times and also has 11 goals, including hauls of three against Craigieburn and Avondale Heights, and has hit the scoreboard in five matches. A much-improved player.
Nick O’Brien (Strathmore)
The prolific midfielder is racking up possessions at will this season and is without doubt among the EDFL’s elite performers. After finishing runner-up in Strathmore’s best-and-fairest the past two seasons, the ex-Essendon player will likely secure the club’s top individual award if he can maintain his rick vein of form. More importantly, the Mores are sitting pretty on top of the ladder as they chase their first flag since 2014.
Kyle O’Connor (Keilor)
The ex-Geelong VFL player has made an immediate impact at his new club, kicking nine goals from seven games to go with four mentions in the best. The midfielder/forward booted 33 goals for Bell Park in the Geelong league in 2019 and is a premiership player at Horsham Saints.
Liam Ogden (Pascoe Vale)
The midfielder has been a model of consistency in his second season at the Panthers in a team which has delivered mixed results. Ogden, who had a decorated stint in country football, has been named in Pascoe Vale’s best in its past five games and will be key to its finals chances.
Nick O’Kearney (Keilor)
Impossible to leave out despite playing only four games. O’Kearney started the season with 40 possessions and two goals against Strathmore on Good Friday and also shone against Greenvale and Pascoe Vale. With his skipper Barbuto heavily tagged most weeks, the former St Kilda rookie has taken full advantage and has been rewarded with three matches for Essendon’s VFL team.
Nick Prowse (Maribyrnong Park)
Prowse has combined with Brandon Ryan to stretch opposition defences in 2021, with his marking power on full display. Has 15 goals to his name, with bags of six against Essendon Doutta Stars and five against Glenroy. One to watch in the second half of the year.
Tom Russell (Avondale Heights)
The big man gives his midfielders first use and is capable of creating headaches for opposition defences in attack, booting hauls of five against Craigieburn, three against Maribyrnong Park and two against Glenroy.
Todd Stevenson (Keilor)
The star utility is putting together another eye-catching campaign after finishing runner-up in the best-and-fairest and securing selection in the Team of the Year in 2019. Has been restricted to four games, but booted four goals against Aberfeldie and three against Strathmore. Capable on the ground and in the air.
Athan Tsialtas (Strathmore)
The young forward shot to prominence with a five-goal effort against Aberfeldie in the 2019 preliminary final. Tsialtas has already eclipsed his goal tally from two years ago in booting 19 from five outings, while he has also been rewarded with two games with VFL outfit Coburg.
Patrick Veszpremi (Keilor)
Blues coach Mick McGuane is getting the best out of his star former AFL recruit, with the versatile Veszpremi creating plenty of headaches for opposition sides this season. He can kick the ball 60m, breaks lines and is explosive, making him a massive addition for the reigning premier. While Veszpremi has been damaging out of defence, he can also play as a midfielder or forward and boasts four mentions in the best from six games.
Matthew Watson (Pascoe Vale)
The former Carlton player is the EDFL’s most damaging forward, booting 28 goals at an average of four a game this season. Watson has only contributed less than three majors once in seven games, with his haul of eight against Craigieburn his best return. Has 153 goals from 44 games since joining the Panthers in 2018.
Matt Williamson (Aberfeldie)
The hard-running Williamson has only built on his encouraging 2019 campaign and is now rated one of Abers’ elite midfielders. The young gun has no trouble finding the footy, uses it smartly and has been rewarded with four mentions in the best in 2021. With 41 senior games to his name, Williamson looks set to deliver dominant performances for many years to come.
Tyson Young (Greenvale)
Young is enjoying an outstanding year for the Jets after making the move from Airport West. The utility was set to be given more time in the midfield, but circumstances have meant he’s spent a lot of the campaign in the attacking 50. He has delivered in spades, booting 21 goals from seven games, with bags of six against Maribyrnong Park and five against Craigieburn. Young appears to be flourishing in the top grade after establishing himself as a champion of Division 1.
Sam Zumbo (Greenvale)
The rebounding half-back flanker with fine foot skills has again been prominent in 2021, named in Greenvale’s best four times from six games. Zumbo is a proven performer, having earned Team of the Year nods the past two seasons to go with a best-and-fairest in 2018.
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