EFL 2019: Four premiership players depart Eastern Football League club Bayswater

Incoming Bayswater coach Tom Roach will look to inject some young talent into his side this year after the departure of four premiership players.

Tom Roach in his playing days at Balwyn. Picture: Steve Tanner

Incoming Bayswater coach Tom Roach will look to inject some young talent into his side this year after the departure of four premiership players.

Bayswater’s key-position stocks have taken a hit this pre-season, farewelling forward Matthew Cunningham (Olinda Ferny Creek), defender Jess Moore (Ferntree Gully) and ruckman Harris Elkasovic (Devon Meadows).

Midfielder David Eddy has also joined Ferntree Gully after three seasons at Bayswater.

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The quartet each played in the 2016 Division 2 grand final win and played important roles in helping Bayswater reach the Eastern Football League’s top flight for the first time since 2003 before the club was relegated back to the second tier after just one season.

End of the road today for Balwyn’s Tom Roach, who has retired from football at age 33. Played in the AFL, VFL and WAFL, and in flags for Balwyn. Had pace to burn on the wings. Well played to him. pic.twitter.com/2o5F46mWQs

— Paul Amy (@PaulAmy375) August 25, 2018

First-year mentor Roach, who will serve as non-playing coach, said Bayswater had been unable to attract any new talent for this season.

“We haven’t made too many list changes, we’ve just got a couple of young fellas coming through but that’s about it really,” Roach said.

“We haven’t gone out and recruited too many … we’ve got a couple we’re still trying to get at the moment but we’ll pretty much have the same side as last year. We’ve tried hard to recruit but it’s not easy to get blokes.”

Roach said he wanted to blood some fresh players into the battle-hardened side.

“Bayswater in the past has always been a big-bodied, strong side around the ball so hopefully we can get some young players pushing through the midfield,” he said.

“We’re hopeful we’re going to get some improvement from our young fellas that can take us that little bit further this year.”

Bayswater was tipped out of last year’s premiership race after coughing up a 42-point lead midway through the third term in the semi-final against eventual grand finalist Lilydale.

Roach said last season was viewed as a missed opportunity.

“I think they expected coming back from first division that they thought maybe it would just happen considering they won the premiership by a hundred points the year before (2016),” he said.

“Obviously the level of competition has improved and it will only improve again with two teams dropping back and no teams going up.”

Bayswater will open its Division 1 campaign against East Ringwood at East Ringwood Reserve on April 6.

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