Not Essendon Doutta Stars’ year as side finishes with wooden spoon after another narrow loss in EDFL

THIS just wasn’t Essendon Doutta Stars’ year.

THIS just wasn’t Essendon Doutta Stars’ year.

A side tipped to be pushing for finals pre-season, the Stars have instead found themselves relegated to Division 1 for 2015 after collecting the wooden spoon in the Essendon District Football League’s Premier Division on the weekend.

Their fate was sealed by Northern Saints on Saturday, the Saints running out 18.16 (124) to 18.14 (122) victors at Nipper Jordan Oval.

It wasn’t the first time the Stars had been pipped at the post, either.

The defeat was their sixth by six points or less this season and came a week after they had fallen to Airport West by one point.

“It was very tough but the result reflected the entire year to be quite honest,” Essendon Doutta Stars president Bruce Runting said.

“That’s six we’ve lost by under a goal now. So that was disappointing, for sure.”

Runting said the club was lost for answers about why there had been so many close defeats this year, putting it down to “sheer bad luck” after entering the season with high hopes.

“If they went the other way we wouldn’t even be having the conversation,” he said.

“We were aiming for, potentially, the four.

“Everyone knew it was going to come down to the last game and last week really cost us.

“We had that one in the bag and let it go. But we certainly didn’t think we’d be where we’re at.”

Having battled away since last making finals in Premier Division in 2006, Runting said the drop to Division 1 was not necessarily as bad a prospect as it seemed on the surface, saying the move would “probably do the club good”.

Building back up to being a competitive side in Premier Division is the goal, but with the standard of Division 1 continuing to improve that task could take some time.

“I don’t want to make any predictions now about ‘we’re going to go straight back up’,” Runting said.

“It took us five years last time.

“I think the top two or three in Division 1 are probably as good as the bottom four or five in the Premier. So it isn’t that simple.”

Stars’ coach Marcus Barham will not be there to lead the side into Division 1 though, Saturday’s game against the Saints his last in charge after four seasons at the helm.