EFNL 2022: Where Croydon North-MLOC must improve according to new coach

The incoming EFNL Division 4 coach details his key targets this off-season as the club looks to improve on a four-win campaign.

Incoming Croydon North-MLOC senior coach Ben Oakes says his club will look to bolster its list this off-season as it chases a maiden finals berth in the Eastern league’s Division 4.

Oakes, who landed the coaching role in September, served as senior assistant to outgoing mentor Mark Holly this season and had previously led Mount Lilydale Old Collegians.

Croydon North-MLOC finished the season in sixth place of Division 4’s seven teams with a 4-12 record – its best return to date following its 2019 inception to the Eastern league.

“Although it was only four wins, four wins was a big step for us,” Oakes said.

“We’re hoping to build on what Mark has done over the last three or four years including a year in the VAFA … definitely being a senior assistant to Mark has helped me.”

This year marked just the club’s second full season in the league after Covid curtailed the 2020 and ’21 campaigns, but Oakes declared the time was nigh to improve.

“We want to keep improving,” he said.

“Overall we’d like to push for that top-four spot … for us to improve we just need to keep moving forward, so if that’s five wins, six wins, seven wins or 12, we just want to improve.

“The EFL’s a tough competition … we’ve had a tough initiation but myself and the committee are in agreeance that although we’ve only played two-and a-half years of footy, we’ve been around for four and we need to work hard on getting better.”

Oakes said it was “no secret to everyone that we definitely need key position players” to help drive improvement.

“We’ve got a good ruckman but he needs help … we need to improve our ruck stocks, and everyone would love a 60-goal full forward wouldn’t they?” he said.

“Around the ball, with the guys being young and inexperienced in senior footy, we want to improve our depth and improve at the top end.

“If we can get a couple of good midfielders in from a higher division and some key position players to help us out to take us that next step, we’d love that.”

Croydon North-MLOC won four matches from 16 starts this year. Picture: Valeriu Campan

The club recruited heavily last off-season and has moved to secure most of its list ahead of 2023.

“Everyone we’ve spoken to has re-signed so far, which is the majority of our list,” Oakes said.

“Like every club we’re talking to players and we want our list to improve, but we’re not hoping like last season go out and get 35 players … my biggest thing when I got the job was re-signing the current group.

“Our group, although being young, is really going to put the club in good stead in the next few years.”