MPNFL 2021: Rosebud assembles strong list

Rosebud’s recruits have quickly made an impact — and they know what it takes to win premierships.

Mitch Dempster playing for Narre Warren in the AFL Outer East competition in 2019. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Rosebud’s recruits will not only add talent but, importantly, premiership-winning know-how to the emerging Buds in 2021.

Doncaster East premiership captain Nick Batsanis and Narre Warren’s 2019 premiership half back Mitch Dempster have made a strong impact at Rosebud already.

“They’ve been terrific so far,” Rosebud coach Nick Jewell said.

“We recruited pretty well last year and we just needed one or two to top up this year, and we’ve managed to get a few back from the VFL.

“It’s been a good result.”

Rosebud is a club on the rise in MPNFL Division 1 after narrowly missing finals in 2019.

With finals on the horizon for the Buds, Batsanis and Dempster could be very handy acquisitions.

Nick Batsanis, left, of Doncaster East, kicks past Aaron Beddoes of Mooroolbark. Picture: Hamish Blair

Jewell said Batsanis, 28, was a big addition.

“Especially being a premiership captain, he will be super for us with his on-field leadership,’’ Jewell said.

“The last two seasons I think he has kicked 25 and 26 goals resting forward when he hasn’t been in the midfield.

“It gives us the opportunity to now have either (Sean) Downie or (Rob) Forrest on ball, (Greg) Bentley and Batsanis resting forward, or vice versa, and then you’ve got (Reid) Nanscawen, (Jai) Hardwick and Fletcher Hustwaite rotating through there as well, so at any stage we can have two of those A graders in there and two of them forward making us a bit more dangerous up forward.”

Nick Batsanis (right) celebrates a flag victory.

Rosebud resumed pre-season training a fortnight ago with a beach running session at Gunnamatta.

“The boys have been training really well, I’m rapt with them,” he said.

“It’s been very hard physically, even when it was 36 degrees on that first night they smashed it.”

Jewell said Division 1 would be a “red-hot comp” with no easy games. He said the toughest teams to beat would be Sorrento, Frankston Bombers, Frankston YCW and reigning premiers Dromana.

“I don’t think there will be an ordinary side in it,” he said.

Rosebud will play three practice games before facing Sorrento in the opening round of the season on Saturday, April 3.