EFNL 2022: How Premier Division power Vermont plans to rebound in 2023
Recruiting is on the radar at Vermont after missing the finals for the first time in more than a decade, while some gun names will return to action.
Eastern
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It missed the finals for the first time in more than a decade – but Vermont is poised to bounce back, senior coach Adam Parker believes.
The Eagles finished ninth on the ladder with a 6-12 record this season – outside of the finals for the first time since 2011 after winning the previous two top-flight flags.
But the club has regained a dual premiership defender, with Matt Willcocks returning following a season with Leongatha in the Gippsland league.
The centre half-back played 88 senior matches for the Eagles across six years, featuring in the 2018 and ’19 flag sides. He added another premiership medallion with Leongatha this season.
“He’s the type of player that we really missed (this year),” Parker said.
“Arguably the best centre half-back in the competition before he moved on for a year to go back home and play with his family at Leongatha.
“He was lucky enough to win a flag down there so it all worked perfectly from his point of view. We just got things done as soon as possible which is nice.”
And Willcocks’ return could signal the start of a fruitful off-season of recruiting – with most of the list also recommitted according to the coach.
“We’ve got a couple of exciting ones (recruits) that are pending,” Parker said.
“But from our list it’s been great – we’ve signed 45 of our players.
“We’ll have another 15 coming up from the ‘19s so we’ll have really strong numbers … with the potential of a couple of exciting signings which are pending that we hope to get over the line in the near future, it’ll be nice.”
Parker said the Eagles must bolster their firepower, following the retirement of dual premiership spearhead Andrew Ainger.
The former SANFL forward missed most of this year’s campaign through a hamstring injury, and was among a host of key names sidelined.
“We just need to score a little bit more,” Parker said.
“We defended pretty strongly – I think our highest score against was 89 points, so pretty much all of the games except a couple, and even late in games when up, we didn’t quite have that firepower, especially when Ainger didn’t play much footy.
“We just couldn’t score enough to be super competitive against the top teams.”
The Eagles’ two starting ruckmen didn’t play after June, with star veteran Robbie Ross (ankle) and Anthony Jenkins (ACL) succumbing to season-ending injuries.
Parker said Ross would return next season, while Jenkins still had “a fair bit of recovery to do”, with his appearances likely to be limited in the first half of the campaign.
Ross, who claimed the Eagles’ best and fairest in 2009, is set to become just the ninth player in the club’s 102-year history to play 200 senior matches, having played 198 after debuting in 2004.
The win-loss ledger spelt unfamiliar territory for the Premier Division powerhouse this season, with the club equalling its longest-ever losing streak of eight matches.
But Parker says there’s a steely resolve to bounce back.
“They’re hungry – and their gratitude towards winning games has changed a little bit as well,” Parker said.
“It’s pretty simple – the boys are ready to go and all the discussions we’ve had with them, they’re keen to get back into it as soon as possible.”
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