Local footy: WRFL club St Albans loses Barry Priest medallist David Kovacevic
One of the Western Region Football League’s leading players and a Barry Priest Medal winner has exited his club, but the loss has been eased by some exciting additions.
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Barry Priest medallist David Kovacevic has departed St Albans in a hammer blow for the Western Region Football League Division 1 club.
The champion ruckman claimed the competition’s highest individual honour in 2019 but is set for an interstate move to NSW.
While Saints football manager Bill Asani conceded Kovacevic would leave a “massive hole”, he said they were hopeful their recruiting efforts would help ease the void.
“It’s a massive loss, I’m not going to downplay it, but from a perspective of how much we were going to get out of him next year, I just don’t know,” Asani said.
“After having a year off, for some it’s good and for others it’s not so good.
“With all due respect to ‘Kova’, his output next year wouldn’t have been as good as last year or the year before.
“We’ve missed a whole year this year. He’s an ageing body rising 31 … and has had a few little niggles, but he gets through them and he’s just amazing.
“But we didn’t want to lose him, I can guarantee you that.”
Kovacevic was named in the WRFL Team of the Year the past two seasons, but the Saints have regained the services of young big man James Cimbaljevic in a plus after he crossed to Essendon District league side Taylors Lakes for 2020.
The 191cm Bol Kolang, who claimed Werribee Districts’ best-and-fairest in 2016, has also arrived after a stint at Wyndhamvale and will add valuable height.
Majok Ngong has signed on from Wyndhamvale, along with ex-Hillside pair Andrew Papazoglou and Patrick Taban.
Jarrod Tuppen and Jake Galea have returned after they were set for a move to Burnside Heights, while St Albans’ 2020 recruits have all recommitted.
They include standout signing and former VFL player Tom Pridgeon, Ben Hurley, Stephen Heppell, Ben McManus and Nick Amourgis.
Asani said there was a chance Matthew Gundry could also exit but declared the Saints’ depth had improved significantly.
He said while the club had not secured “like for like” replacements, the senior squad was coming together nicely.
“We’ve been strategic about what we’ve been getting. It’s not just getting a decent player by name … and trying to fit them in somewhere,” Asani said.
“We’re now getting positional players.
“We believe we’ve got more depth now, more blokes who can go through the middle either as a ruckman or a midfielder, and we’ve got some kids coming through as well.
“I think we’re going to spread wider than we have previously.
“Maybe not as exciting in terms of (big names) … but that’s not something we’re too concerned by because there’s a lot of recruits and young kids that we’ve got that we can certainly develop while having the likes of Jack Sims and Tim Jenkins there to educate them.
“We’re still pretty strong with our player list. Last year we probably went to about 26 (players who were capable of playing senior football) and the year before we struggled to be at 24 to be honest.
“Next year I reckon we’ll be at 30-32, and there might be a couple of other guys.”
Asani said he was “proud” of the loyalty shown by St Albans’ senior players.
The salary cap will be slashed to $100,000 next season amid the coronavirus pandemic, forcing players across the state to take significant pay cuts.
“A lot of people are playing for far less. In almost 90 per cent of the cases, they’re actually either half of the pay from last year or even under half,” Asani said.
“That’s obviously contributing to trying to get recruits at the same time. The boys get it.”
The Saints have reappointed ex-AFL pair Sam Butler (coach) and Josh Hill (playing assistant) as they look to contest Division 1 finals for the first time since 2014.
They have won five flags in the top flight, the last coming in 2001.
St Albans was a big improver last year, logging 10 victories after scoring four in each of the previous two seasons, and knocked off leading clubs Deer Park and Altona.
“I’m not going to promise finals footy and a grand final next year, but we know where we’re at,” Asani said.
“We know with Sam Butler taking on the coaching position and Josh Hill still there as well, we’ve got some good AFL heads in there, some good local football heads and good kids coming through.
“We’re looking at the next couple of years. We’re not looking for instant results.
“If we can get something out of next year, it would be bloody brilliant. But we’re looking at 2022, 23, and then beyond to rebuild that little dynasty St Albans once had.
“We’ve recruited a lot of good footballers the past couple of years, but it just hasn’t gone our way for various reasons.
“No matter how well you can coach or how well you recruit, if you don’t have depth when you’re struggling towards the back end of the year with injuries, you’re in trouble.”
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