EFL: League’s newest addition declares it must recruit ahead of 2021
The EFL’s latest addition has declared it must recruit ahead of its maiden season in the league’s Premier Division. Coach Clint Evans explains how his club is preparing itself and what it is looking for...
Local Footy
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local Footy. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Berwick coach Clint Evans has declared his club is under no illusions that it needs to boost its playing stocks before it embarks on the EFL’s top tier in 2021.
The Wickers are set to take on the league’s heavyweight clubs after making the move from AFL Outer East’s top division, where they played off in a grand final in 2019.
Evans said the club would look to top-up all over the park ahead of 2021.
“It’s definitely a step-up and we know we’ve got to go out and recruit … we think that we need five or six (new additions) to be competitive in Premier,” Evans said.
“We sort of know what we need, from where we were in Outer East ‘til now in (EFL) Premier, a couple of on-ballers, key forwards, key backs, and guys that have got that experience of playing that really good footy.”
The premiership coach said the uncertainty surrounding the state comps in the coming months would make sourcing top talent a challenge but hoped playing EFL Premier footy would help entice prospective recruits.
“It would be great to get an ex-AFL player, but they’re not going to find out until December what’s going on with their lists, cut to 35,” he said.
“Then you’ve got the (NAB League) under-18s and none of them will play this year, and then VFL we don’t know what’s going on next year as well. It’s just a flow-on effect all the way from the top down to the bottom.
“I suppose we’re lucky going into Eastern that everyone knows how high-quality it is, and hopefully they’ll want to come to Berwick.”
The bulk of the existing group is set to remain intact and Evans believes the finalisation of the club’s transfer provides his group with the clarity it needs to prepare for next season.
“We’ll keep most of our list with one or two retirements … now that the boys know exactly where they’re headed to Eastern, it gives them that belief, now they know where they’re going, they can knuckle down a bit,” Evans said.
“We might not be able to start training ‘til after Christmas, it’s just all unknown unfortunately, and recruits might not get to meet the list until next year.
“But it’s just excitement from the players now – everyone is up and about and can’t wait to get into it.”
The EFL’s top division salary cap is set to be slashed to $100,000 from next season – a 50 per cent reduction.
Evans said his club’s recent success of three grand finals in the past five years, coupled with its junior development, would hold it in good stead.
“They’re all going to be one-pointers anyway and we’ve got that culture that they’ve been around each other from juniors coming through,” he said.
“Once they found out they were going to Eastern, they couldn’t be more excited about it. They’re all raring to go, especially after having that year off as well.”
MORE FOOTY NEWS
POWELLTOWN LOCKS IN EFL PREMIERSHIP COACH