Legendary coach Daniel Donati names his greatest local footy team
Daniel Donati guided some of local footy’s biggest names at Balwyn and Barwon Heads and now he’s put them together. See who made it.
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It’s no secret that premierships follow Daniel Donati.
The five-time premiership coach delivered four flags to Balwyn in five seasons in the Eastern Football League before steering Barwon Heads to last season’s title in the Bellarine Football League.
The now Old Brighton coach has an innate ability to extract the best out of his players as people and as footballers.
In the second edition of this Leader Local Footy mini-series, where successful coaches field their dream team, here is Daniel Donati’s best ever side.
FULL BACKS
Jackson Weatherald (Balwyn): A neat defender who instantly caught the eye of Donati after crossing from the Northern league. The beautiful left-footer orchestrated a lot of Balwyn’s transition football. “By the end of my time at Balwyn, he ended up getting tagged … that was his impact from the back pocket,” Donati recalled.
Kris Pendlebury (Balwyn): The Balwyn champion anchors this decorated side, and rightfully so. He stood up in the big moments, typified by his 20-mark preliminary final against Vermont back in 2014. “You won’t find a better full back in local footy, the stuff I saw him do from that position is just stuff I’ve never seen.” Donati said.
John Milhuisen (Balwyn): Played in all four of Donati’s premierships at Balwyn and is named in the back pocket for his versatility anywhere in the back six. The dasher was as exciting as he was integral.
HALF-BACKS
Kyle Polley (Barwon Heads): The flying defender grabbed Donati’s attention as he took a perpetual number of intercept marks. While the much-loved Barwon Heads star pulled in 17 marks in the grand final last season, his above-ground heroics still flew under the radar of best afield judges. “I never really had someone that could intercept like him, he is another one that had players sit on him, he would always fly back with courage, he gave me something in that back six I had never quite had,” Donati said.
Rod Crowe (Balwyn): The general of the Tigers’ back six who played in all four of Balwyn’s premierships under Donati. “People looked over their shoulder when he was in the side; we played better, taller and stronger when he was in the side, he was an absolute stalwart,” Donati said
Steve Kenna (Balwyn): After being involved in the early premierships, the bouncy half-back was an incredible user of the ball and was described precisely by Donati: “Steve Kenna was a genius.”
CENTRES
Shane Tregear (Balwyn): A versatile left-footer that was strong with both feet and overhead. The type of superstar that adds an element to a side from any position he is played in. “The most talented player I ever coached … he got the football and the world around him just slowed down,” Donati said.
Ryan McMahon (Balwyn): The VFL-star slotted straight into Balwyn’s engine room with his trademark work ethic and it immediately impressed Donati. “I think his season in 2013, that season he put together that year was as good a season you will see any local footballer put together, he did anything and everything an on-baller could have that year and, in my mind, put himself on a pedestal as one of the greats,” Donati said.
Tom Roach (Balwyn): The running machine was “the best winger I coached” according to Donati, and it’s understandable why. Unlike the All-Australian side, he was a genuine wingman that had to be named in this position. Roach had an ability to break the game open with his drive and when he got on the end of it in open space the game was soon over.
HALF-FORWARDS
Allan Murray (Balwyn): The Balwyn club legend accumulated a remarkable five premierships across his stellar career. With an ability to do both the flashy and tough stuff, recalling Murray’s impact brought a smile to Donati’s face. “He was almost the first guy I picked, I threw him straight onto the half forward flank because that’s what I would’ve done most weeks,” he said.
Jeff Gobbels (Balwyn): Gobbels – who is still playing in 2023 – had an extraordinary 2012 season and grand final, winning best afield honours in Donati’s first premiership. The reliable focal point turns up and delivers each and every week, which never went unnoticed by his former coach. “If he’s not the best centre half forward to play in the Eastern Football League, then I don’t know who is, in that position there has been none better in the comp,” he said.
Blake Broadhurst (Balwyn): The damaging medium-sized forward was bursting at the seams with talent. Broadhurst booted 73 goals in 2014 which saw him take out the club best and fairest from a forward flank. “What he could do on the footy field, not many other blokes could do, if his body had of held up, I think he would’ve been the best ever at that level – he was extraordinary,” Donati said.
FORWARDS:
Sam Baker (Barwon Heads): The ferocious pocket dynamo was classy and consistent in his one year under Donati in 2022. He found a stack of the footy for a forward pocket despite having a direct match-up following him around each and every week. “He was runner-up in the league best and fairest, he won my best and fairest, won best finals player and won the medal in the grand final – he couldn’t have done much more,” Donati said.
Luke Barker (Balwyn): Barker was named full forward for most of Donati’s coaching career at Balwyn, so it’s reasonable for him to claim this position in his best side. A forward who played out of his size and complimented that with a fluent and arrow-like kick. “He only needed eight shots to kick seven, if you gave him five (shots) he would kick five,” Donati said.
Nathan Brown (Barwon Heads): The former Magpies kicked 62 goals from 17 matches last year, including four in the preliminary final. Brown struggled at times with his body in 2022, but Donati is confident that if he played every game at full fitness, no one was stopping him. “If he had played every game at 100 per cent last year, he would’ve kicked 150 goals,” Donati said.
FOLLOWERS:
John Meesen (Balwyn): Meesen walked into Balwyn and filled a void the Tigers felt they had. His stint at Balwyn Park earned himself a selection as Donati’s sole big man in this side. “He made local football rucking look easy and it’s not, he gave our midfielders first use every week,” Donati said.
Rennie Gilchrist (Balwyn) (Capt): As captain of each of Balwyn’s four flags in addition to best afield honours in two of the grand finals, Gilchrist was a certainty to be in this side. “I saw Rennie do some stuff on the footy field from a leadership perspective that I haven’t seen much of, when things were tough, he was there, and on top of that he had a finesse and skill that not many have, he had that mix … he was a no-brainer to be in my side as captain,” Donati said.
Marc O’Regan (Balwyn): Every side needs one. While skilful and as clever on his day as each of the midfielders, O’Regan regularly completed a role on the opposition’s best player. “He came from WA and wasn’t highly fancied, but it took me two weeks to see what this guy had under the hood. He was all tenacity, heart and care … he played in four flags and it’s fair to say he had a job to do in each of those weeks, he would nullify the best midfielder to 15 touches and still get 25 himself,” Donati said.
INTERCHANGE:
Shaun Cross (Balwyn): A super consistent midfielder who won a stack of the Sherrin, Cross was the winner of multiple best and fairest awards in the successful Balwyn outfit. “I loved what he gave me, I had to put him in the side because he never played a poor game,” Donati said.
Ryan Harvey (Barwon Heads): Another bull that can rotate through this enchanting midfield. “When he got his tail up you wouldn’t want to play on him because he was ruthless, I had to have him in because I loved coaching him,” Donati said.
Ben Harris (Balwyn): Harris came to Balwyn as a playing assistant when Donati arrived in 2012 and was the emergency lever the coach could pull when danger struck. “For me, when it mattered most, I wanted Harro in the middle, when it was tight, when it was tough: ‘Harro you’re going into the guts for us mate’, and he did that,” Donati said.
Christian Sanfilippo (Balwyn): Another one that played in all four of the Tigers’ flags and it was as a result of his capability to play in every spot on the ground. The ultimate team man who would do anything for the benefit of those around him.
Nathan Gordon (Balwyn): Gordon’s five-goal performance in the 2016 grand final won him best afield honours, which Donati can recall vividly. “He had a pretty quiet game the week before, I remember I had a conversation that week with Jeff Gobbels and he said, ‘why don’t we start Nippa (Gordon) out of the goalsquare?’, because we had played him a bit higher … he completely set the game alight, it broke the entire game open and we ended up hanging on because of that first quarter,” he said.
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