Heidelberg West coach Dale Mayne discusses recruiting and replacing Lachie Evans

With NFNL Division 3 league best-and-fairest winner Lachie Evans departing, Heidelberg West has some big boots to fill. New coach Dale Mayne discusses his strategy.

Heidelberg West have recruited strongly for 2024.

Heidelberg West has some big shoes to fill in 2024.

Filling the hole left by NFNL Division 3 league best-and-fairest-winning ruckman Lachie Evans was one of new coach Dale Mayne’s top priority.

New arrival Jacob Smith looms as the first-choice replacement, while the Hawks are confident of signing another big man before the new season.

Smith crosses from Division 1 club Macleod, where he was limited to just four reserve grade games this season after three senior matches in 2022.

Mayne said the change would give the Hawks a new dynamic.

Lachlan Evans won the Division 3 league best-and-fairest.

“We’ve got young Jacob Smith from Macleod, who’s a promising tall with Division 1 experience. We feel like he’s a good recruit for us,” Mayne said.

“Lachie has been a terrific player for West but we feel like we can spread the load to balance out his loss.

“The team will have a different dimension without the one dominant ruckman.”

Rumours of three-time league best-and-fairest Jarryd Coulson’s return at this stage appear wide of the mark.

It has been a strong off-season for West, which has put together one of the strongest recruiting classes in a fierce Division 3 arms race.

Banyule premiership player and 2023 club reserve grade best-and-fairest winner Michael Italia has jumped on board and experienced Division 1 midfielder James Condello has arrived from Macleod, along with fellow Kangas Liam Wanders and Dalton Doherty.

Jordan Vellios returns to Heidelberg Park after a year off, while youngster Mitch Thompson was an Division 1 Under-19s premiership winner at Banyule in 2022.

Mayne said the new recruits were driving higher standards and would give the club critical depth.

“We targeted good leaders as well as good players, to drive the standards, we want a culture of earning your spot,” he said.

“We’ve had around 70 different players train, so we feel we’re in a good position.

“They’ve thrown themselves in the program really well and with our existing players we feel like we’re going to have a lot of depth.

“It’s an exciting time for us because the Division 3 competition looks like it’s going to be strong and show we can be competitive in every game we play.

“We have a lot of guys that have been mates for a long time, it’s a special place like that, and I feel we should tap into that mateship and it should drive success on the ground.

“Everyone is hungry for success, they realise with the team we’re putting together we have an opportunity to push into finals.”

Mayne takes the senior coaching reins for the first time, replacing Michael Missen.

The experienced junior and senior assistant coach said he’d long kept tabs on Heidelberg West and when the opportunity came he jumped.

The spectre of the club’s long finals drought would have no impact on his expectations for 2024.

“I’ve coached some of the players in the past, so I’ve always had a keen interest in Heidelberg West has gone,” he said.

“Looking at senior opportunities, I wasn’t throwing my name around everywhere, I just through it would be a good fit.

“I sat down with the committee and we had some good conversations and we thought we’d be a good fit for each other and so far it’s looking good

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“When I spoke to the committee, I said I’m not worried about the past.

“It’s a new season, it’s a new comp, we’re just looking forward.

“All our planning and our messaging is about looking forward, not backwards.”

Heidelberg West has been drawn to play newcomers Old Paradians at Garvey Oval in Round 1 on April 6.