EFNL 2023: Joel Perry, Billy Schilling among swag of recruits at The Basin

The Basin has netted a raft of experienced guns this off-season, bolstering each area of the ground. Here’s how they’ll lift the Eastern Division 2 club ...

HUNDREDS of games and goals have arrived at The Basin this off-season – with an identified need for experience leading the club’s recruiting drive.

Senior coach Jason Wade says his group is set to benefit from the influx of seasoned names, including champion forward Billy Schilling (Traralgon), former AFL-listed Kangaroo Joel Perry (Powelltown), and returning livewire Michael Cardamone (Doveton).

Billy Schilling during his Montrose days. Picture: Picture:AAP/Chris Eastman

Schilling has kicked more than 500 career goals, with the three-time Team of the Year representative also featuring in Montrose’s 2013 premiership in the league’s second tier.

Perry’s arrival follows back-to-back flags with Powelltown in the Outer East league across the past two seasons.

The 195cm key forward brings more than 300 games’ experience, taking in stops at East Ringwood and Vermont, along with a playing-coach stint at Upper Gully.

Cardamone, a former senior coach of Coldstream and more recently, Doveton, last played at The Basin in 2021 as senior assistant.

The ex-Forest Hill forward and three-time Division 4 Team of the Year representative has more than 600 goals to his name, and previously spent three seasons at the Bears from 2014-16 before a premiership-winning stop at Aquinas in ‘19.

He’s taken on the The Basin’s football operations role – spearheading the club’s recruiting as it looks to improve on a five-win season – and the coach said he’s also keen to pull the boots on.

Michael Cardamone coached Doveton Doves across 2022 and ‘23. Picture: Josh Chadwick

“I think we only had two guys over 23 last season, so we were extremely young and we went out and targeted a few experienced blokes,” Wade said.

“We were lucky enough to get Michael Cardamone jump on board as footy ops, and he’s been fantastic in getting these blokes on board and getting what we needed to add in a bit of size and experience.

“With Perry and him (Cardamone), we’ll have a couple of ex-coaches out there, so it’ll really help the younger guys on.”

Schilling returned to Montrose in 2022 after a stay at North Ringwood where he often featured in defence – and Wade said the former Demons captain’s role could shift again next season.

“He’ll probably play forward, and maybe 20 per cent on-ball as well, to have a bigger body in there,” Wade said.

“Picking up a few bigger guys helps that I can throw things around a bit this year, which will be handy.”

Joel Perry clears the ball from defence for Upper Ferntree Gully. Picture: Davis Harrigan

Perry on the smaller confines of Batterham Reserve is an exciting prospect for Wade.

“(It’s) a small ground, and (it’s exciting) to have that big target you can get it in long to … then you’ve got blokes like Cardamone and Jack Lavender, quick little blokes that can mop anything up,” he said.

Former VFL Northern Blue Lachlan Moss has also arrived, bringing premiership experience from Bayswater among stints with Devon Meadows where he finished runner-up for the best and fairest, and a recent coaching stop at Hallam.

Veteran defender Troy Wright adds more than 250 games’ experience, after helping East Ringwood to a flag in 2022. He’s also had stints at Croydon, Montrose and Mooroolbark, earning a spot in the Division 1 Team of the Year in 2019.

Meanwhile, Daniel Frost has joined from Doveton, after previously playing at Norwood and Mitcham. He’s touted as having elite skills on both sides of the body, boasting versatility in attack or defence.

Inside midfielder and defender Harley Burmeister-Lyons (Koondrook Barham) will add plenty of experience with more than 200 games under his belt, including a previous stint at Upper Gully, while half-back Josh Swainston (Heatherton) has also signed.

Wade said the club had ticked all the boxes ahead of 2024 – but had waved goodbye to star midfielder Christian Poe (Bayswater) and club great Trevor Mills (retired).

“We needed a couple of experienced on-ballers, a key back and a couple of key forwards, so we’ve covered off all the areas and they’ll help the young blokes,” Wade said.

“Last season, we sort of lost games in 15, 20-minute patches – we were pretty competitive in most games, and then it’d just be that 20 minutes … hopefully adding in that experience will help.

“(We thought) if we can bring a bit of experience in, (we’ll) hopefully be a five or six-goal better team, and get more wins than losses.”