EFL 2019: Scoresby facing third relegation in six years
Scoresby played in consecutive EFL top-tier grand finals just eight years ago, but the Magpies are preparing for their third relegation in six years. The club details how it plan to rise again.
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It’s just eight years ago since Scoresby played off in consecutive grand finals in the Eastern Football League’s top flight.
But the Magpies will compete in the competition’s fourth tier in 2020 as they prepare for the prospect of a third relegation in six years.
Scoresby suffered relegation in consecutive seasons in 2014 and 2015, and it has a 2-14 record in Division 2 this year after losing a host of experienced players over the summer.
The Magpies were in the top tier for 47 out of 49 seasons between 1966 and 2014 and played in seven grand finals.
Scoresby was one win away from a grand final last season after ending a seven-year wait between finals wins, only to bow out in the preliminary final.
“We’re not happy about it. How else do you put it?” president Dave Renkin said of the club’s slide down the league standings.
“It’s disappointing we’ve got to be relegated but the season has been what the season has been.
“Rather than look at it as a negative, we’ve got to look as to what we can do to turn it into a positive and try make next season a successful one.”
Dale Hehir (Rowville), Nathan Hicks (Canterbury) and Danny De Leso (Ferntree Gully) all moved on at the end of last year, while the experienced trio of Scott Goldsworthy, Brenton Legg and Matt Krawczyk retired.
Their departures left Scoresby needing to fill some significant holes to keep pace with the competition’s pacesetters.
“The guys are certainly giving it their full endeavour on the ground but we’re short some players, there’s no doubt about that,” Renkin said.
“I suppose it has enabled us to blood quite a few of the younger guys up into the seniors and the reserves out of the under-19s.
“From that perspective, it has been a good opportunity for them but we’re certainly not getting the wins on the board.
“We’re starting to focus for what it looks like next year and we’ll be undertaking a review of what we need to do and start to put some things in place to make sure we’re having a red-hot crack.
“We’ll be reviewing the football department, playing list and all that sort of stuff moving forward, as you do as part of normal process.”
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Renkin noted the club was strong off the field.
“(There’s) lot of support, lots of volunteers that have put their hand up to assist in the background of the club, which has been a really good thing,” he said.
“There’s always light at the end of the tunnel … the vibe around the club is still good, regardless of our performance on the ground.
“We’ll keep planning moving forward and see where we come out in preparedness for next season.”
Renkin said the Magpies needed to promote their emerging talent to again achieve success.
“It’s around the youth and bringing the kids in the under-19s up through that process and building that for future years and future success,” he said.
“If you look at clubs through the history of football, there’s a lot of success that comes out of keeping a playing group together as they come up through juniors into the senior ranks.
“We know in the long term, that’s where the success is going to come from.
“That’s where we’ve got to put our energies to try and keep that playing group together and bring them up into the senior playing ranks.”
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