EFL 2019: Donvale remains in Division 3 finals hunt

Donvale had a change of coach last month but remains in the EFL Division 3 finals race after a crucial win over Whitehorse Pioneers.

Jeremy Grocott goes for a run. Picture: Hamish Blair

Donvale parted ways with its coach last month but the Magpies remain in EFL Division 3 finals contention.

Ex-mentor Dennet Merton offered his resignation a few weeks ago after five consecutive losses, with the club citing “some disconnect between game plan and players”.

But Donvale is 6-7 and just a game outside the top four following a 17-point win over Whitehorse Pioneers on Saturday.

A defeat against the fourth-placed Pioneers would have ended the Magpies’ push for a return to finals, but instead they are now one of four sides jostling for the final two spots in the top four.

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Warrandyte and Waverley Blues are also looking to figure at the business end of the season.

“We’ve got to win every game to control our own destiny I guess,” interim coach Brendan ‘Billy’ McCormack said.

“It probably would have been tough because this time of the year — the weather and that sort of thing — it’s very hard to keep guys up if we had have lost three in a row, it would have been a different mindset I guess thinking it might be over for us.”

Whitehorse was restricted to one goal as Donvale established a 37-point lead by three-quarter time before finishing with a 7.8 (50) to 4.9 (33) win.

Zac Haig was influential in the ruck, vice-captains Matthew Leardi and James Rausa were in the best players and McCormack praised the efforts of young defenders Ethan Duncan and Josh Jordaan.

McCormack coached the club to the 1998 and 2005 top-tier grand finals and is in his fifth stint as Donvale coach.

He had been an assistant before Merton’s departure.

“The people and the players, the work that they do is amazing and that’s why I wanted to get involved helping out coaching this year,” McCormack said.

“Obviously the sacking of Dennet wasn’t ideal but it was a mutual agreement.

“It was probably after that decision they asked me if I’d be caretaker … I’ve always been around the club so it was something I put my hand up for.”

The Magpies started 4-0 but dropped their next five games and under McCormack’s tutelage are still a chance to play finals.

“It’s a young group and I guess they probably need to feel confident about what they can do,” McCormack said.

“The can all play footy obviously and it’s probably more leniency on what they can do.

“They are a young group and I think they are going to have their ups and downs and for me, it’s just trying to get to know the individuals better to know how to work with them.”

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