EFNL 2025: Homegrown Rowville tops up for Premier Division flag tilt

Rowville has added a stack of VFL talent this off-season as it looks for a second Eastern Premier Division flag in three seasons.

Mitchell Sruk is among a host of names coming back full-time from VFL level. Picture: Stuart Milligan

Homegrown talent is the theme at Rowville, with the club welcoming back a host of familiar faces ahead of another premiership tilt.

Hawks coach Ben Wise declared the priority this off-season had been to bring former juniors back to the fold – and the plan has delivered in spades at the top-division power.

Headlining the inclusions is Josh Bennetts following two seasons on Hawthorn’s list.

The small forward made his senior debut at local level in 2022 and was snared as a Category B rookie soon after – but didn’t play an AFL match.

The 20-year-old has also aligned with Collingwood VFL.

“‘JB’ is obviously from Rowville, he’s come through the Lysterfield program and then come across when he got to the under-18s … he’s a real loyal kid,” Wise said.

“It’s great to see guys like him that go to the top and come back to the club that got them there.

“I’ve had a great relationship with him since he’s been drafted – I worked pretty hard to make sure he came back home.

“The main strategy with recruiting is getting Rowville juniors back, then mates of mates. The way everything’s set up, you can’t go and recruit five or six.”

Josh Bennetts in action for the Eastern Ranges. Picture: Kelly Defina/AFL Photos

Pacy tall Seth Macdonald has also aligned with the club after earning a spot on Richmond’s VFL list.

The former Eastern Ranges talent lives locally and arrives through a family connection.

“His younger brother plays at our footy club and is still coming through the junior ranks, so the family tie is already there,” Wise said.

“He just made a call – he got listed at VFL level and didn’t have as strong a top-age year at Ranges that he would’ve liked, because he was probably earmarked to be drafted.

“Premier football is what he wants to play when he’s not playing at VFL … he’s a really diligent kid, really fit, elite runner, great skills and works really hard with his fitness, strength and diet.”

The Hawks made a prelim final last year. Picture: Andrew Batsch

Rowville is set to boast around 10 VFL-listed players this season – but it regains Kyle Stainthorpe, Cal Verrell and Mitch Sruk full-time from the state league.

“When you add those three guys getting picked every week for us, they’re like new recruits for us anyway,” Wise said.

But Kane Young (South Belgrave), Brayden Laplanche (Montrose) and Matt Traynor (Scoresby) are notable departures.

Kane Young in full flight during last year’s finals series. Picture: Andrew Batsch

Wise said his club’s emerging stocks could help fill the void.

“I’m pretty confident we’ll cover all those guys, ‘Sugar’ (Young) is probably the main one, Laplanche only played seven games for us but with Seth Macdonald coming into the side, our growth within and the kids coming up from the ‘19s program, we’ve probably got six or seven that can come up and play senior footy,” he said.

“We’ve got a really good group of ‘17s coming up into our ‘19s program, and I’ve got no doubt we’ll probably see one or two of them progress into the senior level.”

Rowville won the flag in 2023 but finished last season in third spot before a 36-point preliminary final defeat to East Ringwood.

Wise said last year’s ending had burned deep among his group this off-season.

“I think we’ve got a list that can continually have a crack at winning the premiership,” he said.

“The boys have come back really fit, strong and hungry – I think they were pretty disappointed finishing where they finished.”

Rowville opens its season at home to Noble Park on April 12.