MPFNL Division 1: Mt Eliza lose key player in another hit to premiership defence
Mt Eliza has lost one of its leading players amid its 0-2 start to the MPFNL Division 1 season — and coach Rikki Johnston pinpoints the area in which the Redlegs have dropped off.
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What’s wrong with Mt Eliza?
The reigning premiers have begun the MPFNL Division 1 season with two losses, lacking the sharp edge that propelled them to the top in 2024.
The Redlegs have had excuses — several key players missed round one to attend star ruckman Chris Carey’s wedding, and travel and injuries have impacted, too.
But Mt Eliza coach Rikki Johnston says there’s one glaring deficiency in the Redlegs’ make up — defence — and it’s holding them back.
“For a club that prides itself on its team defence we’ve given up 90 plus (points) in the first two games,” he said.
“We might have given up 90 points twice the whole last year, I don’t reckon we gave up much over 60 for the last 10 or 12 games including finals so that’s a big drop off defensively.”
In a further blow, Mt Eliza’s 2024 premiership captain Nathan Scagliarini may not play at all this season.
He played the last practice match last month but then decided not to play.
“He was always going to be travelling for five weeks coming up shortly,” Johnston said.
“We might not see him again for the rest of the year. That’s probably another one that’s hurt a bit.”
Johnston said it’s an opportunity for others to step up.
“We’ve got depth, we know that, but it’s probably more about these guys actually coming together and being able to execute it when we haven’t had a lot of them on the training track,” he said.
“That’s stuff that every club has to deal with that’s where we’re at.”
Mt Eliza was overrun by Sorrento 14.10 (94) to 6.17 (53) in the opening round and on Saturday went down to Pines 14.11 (95) to 13.14 (92).
Reinforcements, though, are on the way for the Redlegs, who face Mornington, also winless, on Anzac Day next week.
Star defender Nicholas MacDonald Girolami — one of the best in Mt Eliza’s grand final win last season — hurt his shoulder at Richmond VFL and is likely to make his way back via the Redlegs in the coming weeks.
Will Bravo is set to resume from a long-term injury in Mt Eliza’s reserves against Mornington next week.
Owen Williams and Ziggy Toledo are five or six weeks away as they recover from surgeries as well.
Premiership players Elliot Simmons and Michael West are currently travelling, but are due back in the next four weeks.
“We’ve just got to stem the tide and hold on to that group and then I think we’ll be much better,’’ Johnston said.
“I think we’ve had 10 or 11 out of the senior premiership side that haven’t featured yet. We’ve just got to make sure we keep ticking it over to stay close enough.”
In a positive, Mt Eliza co-captain Braden Nelmes, who missed last season’s grand final due to injury, returned to action on Saturday and impressed.
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