Heidelberg has lost several big names but has ready-made talent ready to step up
31 for 31: Heidelberg has lost several key players but the Tigers are confident they have ready-made talents ready to step up and win a premiership hat-trick.
Northern
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Bring it on, that’s Heidelberg’s message to its NFNL Division 1 rivals.
The Tigers are chasing a premiership hat-trick this season and know there’s a number of clubs coming for the crown.
However, the back-to-back defending champion has lost several key players, most notably captain Sam Gilmore (Old Paradians) and grand final medallist Matt Smith (Uni Blues).
Premiership players Tom Schnerring, Isaac Wallace (Warragul), Jesse Kane and Kai Kearns (both Tooleybuc Manangatang) as well as Mackenzie Hogg (Macleod), Kane Veliou (Ivanhoe), Jed Rule (Old Carey) and Gulian Fable (Panton Hill) have also departed.
However, Heidelberg’s depth is arguably the envy of the league as the club also won the reserve grade premiership last season.
Coach Vinny Dattoli said the club couldn’t replace its stars immediately but had the talent ready to step up.
“I always believe you’ve got guys in your environment ready to step up, the organic growth is a priority,” Dattoli said.
“We had a couple of guys that were stiff last year that had played in the first premiership but it didn’t work out for them last year.
“There were four, five, even six guys that played in the reserves grand final that could have comfortably stepped up to play senior footy.
“We’ve been fortunate enough to pick up Tom Keys late in the process and that’s going to be extremely significant with the role he’ll play.
“We’re not delusional, we know we’re not going to replace Sam Gilmore in five minutes, but Mitch Jorgensen is progressing every week.
“You’re not going to replace Matt Smith in a heartbeat but Nathan Honey is back from VFL and will fill that void in due course.
“You lose Tommy Schnerring but you pick up Dylan Clark weekly because he’s back from VFL so there’s things that look after each other.”
The Tigers have also added delisted Collingwood midfielder Trent Bianco (Footscray VFL) and Solly McKay (Essendon VFL).
Heidelberg’s midfield will once again be led by reigning Rosbrook Medallist Lachie Wilson, while Brayden Sier also polled strongly in league best-and-fairest and Coaches’ MVP voting.
Newly appointed captain Keenan Posar, Brody Tardio, Zane Barzen, Sier, Gilmore, Smith and Wilson were all named in the Team of the Year.
Having successfully defended its crown last season, Dattoli says his players know what is required as rivals target them.
“We’re aware of that and rightly so, you want opposition clubs to be throwing everything at it to win a grand final,” he said.
“So our pre-season has been harder than our last two pre-seasons, preparing ourselves for that.
“It’s been quite handy to see in the practice games our ability to run the second halves out as strongly as we have for this time of year.”
Heidelberg certainly tested itself in the pre-season with matches against Essendon District heavyweights Keilor, Strathmore and Pascoe Vale and a final hitout against Eastern power Balwyn to come on Thursday.
With Warringal Park being redeveloped, the Tigers have been training at Telfer Reserve.
Despite training away from its usual base, Dattoli has been impressed with several of his players campaigns.
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“Matty McInerney has had a ripping pre-season, Ben Nikolovski has had a good pre-season and Dylan Clarke, as always, is head down, backside up,” he said.
“Barzo (Zane Barzen) is having a really good pre-season, Mitch Jorgensen, for a ruckman, the way he covers ground has been outstanding – I could go on.
“We’ve also been fortunate to pick up young Adam Galgano, who’s come back from the Northern Knights, and we see him playing a significant part.”
Heidelberg launches its premiership defence with a trip to arch-rival North Heidelberg on April 16 and is scheduled to return to Warringal Park in Round 6 against Greensborough.
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