Everything you need to know about the Eastern league season

The 2023 Eastern league men and women’s season looks set to be one a thriller. Here’s our bold predictions and what you need to know.

ELEVEN Premier Division teams will start their pursuit hunting reigning champs, Noble Park.

The Bulls broke through for its first senior flag in 11 years with an upset win of minor premier Rowville last September.

Can they repeat the feat – and can the Hawks, youthful but another year wiser, make amends?

Hot on the heels of the grand finalists are those which fell just short of the decider – Balwyn, Doncaster East, South Croydon and Blackburn.

Balwyn will be led by ex-Adelaide Crows coach Brenton Sanderson, bolstered by the recruits of ex-AFL names Levi Greenwood and Josh Walker, while Doncaster East has welcomed a host of former top-flight talent, with ex-AFL Blue and Lion Tom Bell headlining the list.

Can anyone catch Kyle Martin and Noble Park? Picture: Andy Brownbill

One of the biggest question-marks of the season will be Vermont, which missed the finals for the first time since 2011.

But it’s recruited well to address its needs – headlined by ex-AFL tall Daniel Neilson – and with a healthier list this time around, a return to the business end certainly isn’t beyond the league’s most successful club.

Two of the biggest talking points ahead of the Division 1 season is how Mooroolbark will respond from its 83-point grand final loss, and how far can the promoted South Belgrave go?

South Belgrave’s record across the past decade suggests it can mix it with the best after promotion – just 10 years ago, it competed in Division 4.

With a strong list expect it to give the comp a shake. Last year’s other finalists Mitcham, Montrose and Wantirna South all look set to challenge again, while Croydon, which finished just outside the top five, has topped up with recruits nicely as it looks to return to finals.

Meanwhile, Ringwood will be out to break its flag hoodoo in Division 2 following a third consecutive grand final loss in 2022. The Redbacks haven’t saluted since 2005 – but took home a minor premiership cup in 2021 after the season was wiped due to the pandemic.

Division 2 looms as arguably the closest senior men’s competition of the five, after just six points separated fourth from seventh on the ladder at the end of last year.

Donvale will be chasing redemption. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Division 3 also looks set to be a tight race with Donvale falling agonisingly short of the crown last year and preliminary finalist Warrandyte also looking as a team to beat following an impressive recruiting haul. Ferntree Gully hits the park following a late-season charge of six wins from its last seven matches to fall short of the finals – but is confident its momentum has carried over to pre-season.

And perhaps some of the biggest droughts across all senior men’s competitions could be broken in Division 4.

Surrey Park is aiming to create history. Photo: Hamish Blair

Forest Hill’s flag drought stretches back to 1984, Surrey Park has never won an Eastern league grand final and Chirnside Park’s wait stretches some 13 years – they’re all sides more than capable of lifting the cup this season.

Then there’s those who finished outside the finals race – Nunawading has battled for years but with the injection of a wealth of experience in the off-season, it could be a big improver and surprise a few.

Don’t discount Kilsyth either, which broke a seven-year finals hiatus last season and has shored up its squad with some gun names.

The race is on to catch the Eastern Devils in the women’s Premier A comp, who took out the flag in their first Eastern league season after making the switch from the South East.

Finishing four games clear on top of the ladder at the end of the season, the Devils dropped just one match on the way to a 29-point win over South Croydon in the decider – led by Shelley Beggs who topped the competition goalkicking with 43 majors.

The return of 2021 skipper Elley Butcher will also bolster the Devils’ flag defence.

But it wasn’t just the top-tier side lighting it up – Eastern Devils’ Division 4 outfit fell four points short of a flag, edged by Vermont in the grand final.

Meanwhile, the Whitehorse Pioneers won a heart-stopping Premier B decider over Donvale by a point. Can Donvale harness the heartbreak and take the next step, or can The Basin, which also gave the comp a shake, break through after a preliminary final berth?

PREMIER DIVISION

Teams: Balwyn, Berwick, Blackburn, Doncaster, Doncaster East, East Ringwood, Noble Park, Norwood, Park Orchards, Rowville, South Croydon, Vermont

Reigning premier/runner-up: Noble Park/Rowville

Best and fairest: Max King (South Croydon), Blake Pearson (Norwood)

Leading goalkicker: James Wilsen, 63 (South Croydon)

DIVISION 1

Teams: Bayswater, Beaconsfield, Croydon, Lilydale, Mitcham, Montrose, Mooroolbark, North Ringwood, South Belgrave, Wantirna South

Reigning premier/runner-up: East Ringwood (promoted to Premier Division)/Mooroolbark

Best and fairest: Lincoln Wong (Wantirna South)

Leading goalkicker: Jake Parente, 68 (Mitcham)

DIVISION 2

Teams: Boronia, East Burwood, Heathmont, Knox, Mulgrave, Ringwood, Templestowe, The Basin, Upper Ferntree Gully, Waverley Blues

Reigning premier/runner-up: South Belgrave (promoted to Division 1)/Ringwood

Best and fairest: Tim Smith (South Belgrave)

Leading goalkicker: Tim Smith, 69 (South Belgrave)

DIVISION 3

Teams: Coldstream, Donvale, Fairpark, Ferntree Gully, Oakleigh District, Silvan, Warrandyte, Whitehorse Pioneers

Reigning premier/runner-up: Waverley Blues (promoted to Division 2)/Donvale

Best and fairest: Daniel De Ieso (Ferntree Gully)

Leading goalkicker: Josh Williamson, 50 (Waverley Blues)

DIVISION 4

Teams: Chirnside Park, Croydon North-MLOC, Forest Hill, Kilsyth, Nunawading, Scoresby, Surrey Park

Reigning premier/runner-up: Silvan (promoted to Division 3)/Surrey Park

Best and fairest: Tom Smith (Surrey Park)

Leading goalkicker: Leigh Kimpton, 107 (Silvan)

WOMEN’S PREMIER DIVISION

Teams:

Premier A: Eastern Devils, Mt Evelyn, South Croydon, Vermont, Whitehorse Pioneers

Premier B: Boronia, Donvale, Ferntree Gully, SBL Wolves, The Basin

Reigning premier/runner-up: Eastern Devils/South Croydon (Premier A), Whitehorse Pioneers/Donvale (Premier B)

Best and fairest: Taylah Black, South Croydon (Premier A), Georgia Fisher, Whitehorse Pioneers (Premier B)

Leading goalkicker: Shelley Beggs, 43, Eastern Devils (Premier A), Julia Baker, 37, The Basin (Premier B)

Top five bold predictions:

•Doncaster East to win its maiden top division flag

•South Belgrave’s Tim Smith to win a second-consecutive league best and fairest

•Ringwood to break through for the Division 2 premiership

•Eastern Devils to go back-to-back in women’s Premier Division

•Perennial battler Nunawading to push for finals in Division 4