Named: 25 Eastern league Premier Division guns lighting it up in 2025
We’ve hit the halfway point of the season and there have been plenty of standouts across the Eastern league’s top-flight. Here’s 25 of the best performers ...
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We’ve hit the halfway point of the season and there have been plenty of standouts across the Eastern league’s top-flight. Here’s 25 of the best ...
Will Arthurson (Berwick)
Boy, did Berwick miss this bloke. Returning this year after 12 months out with an ACL injury, the full back has made an immediate impact, featuring in the best on five occasions, usually taking the opposition’s best forward.
Coach Andrew Williams said of the former VFL man in pre-season: “He’s going to be a massive inclusion for us – he’s obviously a leader of the club and the way he reads the footy and uses it, he’s huge.”
He wasn’t wrong.
Danny Baglava (Mitcham)
The ruckman and ex-Balwyn man has led the way for the Tigers in their jump to the top-flight. Mitcham coach Neil Winterton gives a ringing endorsement:
“He gives up height most weeks but works himself into the ground – he was our leading clearance player and second in disposals before he missed the last couple with injury.”
James Belo (East Ringwood)
The reigning Chandler medallist has picked up where he left off, torching opposition teams with his bull-at-a-gate approach to contests and ball-winning ability. Against Blackburn in a top-of-the-table clash, he found the pill 22 times – and 15 of those were contested – while his disposal ran at 77 per cent efficiency. Inside and outside he continues to be one of the comp’s most damaging players.
Jayden Cass (South Croydon)
The experienced head has provided plenty of spark, coach Brendan Allen says: “He’s just polished and getting plenty of outside ball on the wing … sets us up and he’s turned the clock back with his running patterns and the way he’s attacking the footy.”
Josh Clarke (Rowville)
A standout in a Hawks side otherwise decimated by injury, the former Eastern Ranges captain’s speed, polished left boot and decision-making has punished a few teams so far this season according to coach Ben Wise, featuring in the best in four of seven matches.
Damon Delaney (East Ringwood)
Internally, he’s rated as highly as anyone. Externally, he’s perhaps been underrated. No job is too big or too small for the damaging defender, coach Ben Osborne says.
“We can give him a job on tallish players, he can take any one of those (forwards) – he intercepts a lot and he’s just a fantastic leader of our footy club.”
Mackenzie Doreian (Blackburn)
The zippy forward and midfielder has enjoyed a return of 11 goals from seven games – and four nods in the best to help the Burners to second spot on the ladder. Previously listed with the Box Hill Hawks and Northern Bullants in the VFL.
Taylin Duman (Doncaster East)
Ex-Docker has held up a Doncaster East outfit from centre half-back this season and has been rarely beaten. Among the Lions’ best few so far in their charge back to the top rungs of the ladder. The 27-year-old might be hard to nudge for the centre half-back spot in this season’s Team of the Year if he continues his form.
Josh Fox (East Ringwood)
Now in his second season at the Roos, the tall forward continues to impact matches – not only on the scoreboard, but with an unselfish presence which brings others into the game. Whether it’s by marks, blocks, goals or setting up others, he’s again been a key part of an East Ringwood attack currently firing on all cylinders, kicking 25 majors so far from seven matches.
Matt George (South Croydon)
A standout for the Bulldogs so far according to coach Brendan Allen, he’s been lighting it up across half-back – including a haul of 36 possessions against Berwick in his last outing.
Mak Hoskin (Doncaster East)
The hard-nosed midfielder has arguably been the Lions’ most consistent this season, putting up six mentions in the best. Often, more than half his possession count of a match has been contested, while he gathered 26 touches (12 contested), 11 clearances and nine inside-50s against Rowville in his latest outing. One of the league’s top young talents.
Lachie Johns (Vermont)
The dynamic midfielder could again be tough to beat for Vermont’s best and fairest this season – of which he already has a club-record seven. Absolutely tore it up before a hamstring injury on May 17, featuring among the best in all bar the match he left the field early. But the word is he’ll be back at it soon.
Patrick Lawlor (Blackburn)
The midfielder and former Burners skipper was best afield against South Croydon (26 disposals, 17 contested possessions, 11 clearances) and Mitcham (31 disposals, 12 marks, six clearances) among four mentions in the best from seven games.
Remy Maclean (East Ringwood)
Not far off Riley Weatherill in the comp goalkicking, Maclean has 14 majors so far from seven matches in a forward line consistently causing oppo defences headaches. His biggest return (four) came against Blackburn in a top-of-the-table clash.
Lachie McDonnell (Noble Park)
“A big ball winner for us,” coach Steve Hughes said recently of the midfielder who has stepped up following the departure of the club’s biggest names. Best-afield against Berwick with 33 disposals, nine rebound-50s and six clearances, while he also stood tall against a red-hot Balwyn outfit last weekend.
Tim O’Brien (Doncaster East)
Part of a three-pronged attack at the Lions alongside Josh Schache and Jay Rankin, the former Hawk and Bulldog has 14 goals from seven games, but it’s not just the goals he’s kicking which make a difference according to coach Ryan James: “Tim’s probably drawing more of the attention (than Schache), but they’ve obviously got a relationship pre-Donny East which is showing in how they both sacrifice their roles at times … one probably doesn’t get to play well without the other.”
James Ross (Vermont)
The Eagles’ captain has been one of the club’s most consistent this season, featuring in the best in four of seven matches. He’s taken on some big roles in defence, even taking the honours against experienced Berwick goalkicker Jordy Andrews.
“I reckon there would’ve been a good dozen, if not more, contests (between them) and I reckon ‘Rossy’ won most of them,” Vermont coach Matt Adolph said at the time.
Josh Schache (Doncaster East)
The former No.2 draft pick has had no worries adapting to the rigours of local footy after his stay in the big-time came to an end last year. Currently leads the competition for goals with 28 from seven matches.
Bowen Smith (Balwyn)
Currently one of the most damaging midfielders in the competition, Smith has been one of his side’s leading possession getters, including 33 against Berwick to go with nine clearances, while he had 30 (18 contested) and seven clearances against Doncaster East. Among the best on six occasions.
Josh Tovey (East Ringwood)
In his most recent outing, the former Eastern Ranges captain hauled in 33 disposals, 26 contested possessions and 17 clearances against Vermont. In all bar one match so far he’s had the pill more than 30 times; South Croydon (34 disp. 27 contested possessions, eight marks, 10 clearances), Noble Park (39 disp., 27 cont. poss., 15 clearances, seven marks) and Blackburn (31 disposals, 24 contested possessions).
Jack Tillig (Balwyn)
Has again provided the Tigers a reliable tall target in attack, kicking 14 goals from his seven matches so far – ranked equal fifth in the competition. Better yet, he’s hit the scoreboard in each outing.
Oscar Van Dam (South Croydon)
The Tasmanian import and North Melbourne VFL name has been “cool, calm and collected” as a defender according to coach Brendan Allen: “He’s a beautiful ball-user and is managing to get a defensive job done, while being offensive.”
Lachie Waddell (Doncaster East)
Arguably the form ruckman of the competition, the ex-VFL man stepped into the role following a season-ending injury to teammate Michael Wenn. He’s had great success in the switch according to coach Ryan James.
“We’re in a situation where we’ve got a 100-game VFL premiership ruckman that we were playing at centre half-back, but once Wenn went down, I had a chat to Lachie and I put him on-ball,” James said.
“I think the last three weeks he’s either been our best or second-best player … he’s probably one of the in-form players of the comp at the moment.”
Riley Weatherill (East Ringwood)
Three of the top four goalkickers at the minute wear the royal blue and white, with Weatherill, third, on 17 from seven matches as he continues to provide a tall target for the ladder-leader.
Matt Willcocks (Vermont)
The dual premiership Eagle remains one of the division’s top defenders – and his appearances this season have said just as much with nods in the best in all five. Suffering a hamstring injury on May 17, he’s missed the past couple, but like Johns, he’s not far from a return.
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