Star goalkicker, trio of talls among string of recruits at Epping for 2022

When clearances reopened this week Epping’s confirmed its 2022 ambitions with a recruiting spree but refuted any suggestion of poaching.

Damon Marcon in action for Greensborough. Picture: Josie Hayden

When clearances opened this week there was one club that stood out above the rest – Epping.

The Pingers lodged 33 requests on the opening day, the club’s 2022 ambitions clear but there could be more to come.

New co-coaches Glenn Lehner and Aaron Newport confirmed the NFL Division 2 club has 37 new players as they look to rebuild a team that only won three games in the past two seasons.

“We’ve obviously done a fair bit of recruiting, we’ve got 37 new players in total,” Newport said.

“That’s 30 for the senior squad and we’ve had seven under-19s commit before Christmas, so we’re confident we’ll get an under-19s side up as well.

“We’re sitting on a squad of about 72 at the moment, which is pretty good, and we’ve had 71 turn up to training at some stage.

“I think we’ve lost four senior guys from last year and probably 15 to 20 twos players.”

Prominent among the clearances Damon Marcon and under-18 Vic Metro representative Tom Burnside.

Marcon kicked 39 goals in 18 games in 2018, earning Division 2 Team of the Year honours, before crossing to Greensborough and is also a three-time premiership player with Preston Bullants in the VAFA.

Burnside, a Vic Metro Under-18 representative, played 15 games in 2019, finishing fourth in the club best-and-fairest, and returns from Central Murray outfit Balranald.

“The boys reached out to him … and he’s had a few one-on-one chats with Aaron and myself and he’s recommitted,” Lehner said.

“He kicked 40-odd goals last time he played for Epping and if we can get 40 to 50 goals out of him this year it would be a real bonus.

“Tommy’s been massive this pre-season, he’s really embraced what Aaron and I are trying to implement and he’s part of our leadership group.

“His enthusiasm and what he’s brought to the club so far in the pre-season has been infectious, he’s been fantastic.”

Lehner and Newport are also excited by the prospect of ruckmen Clark and Owen Sloan from Whittlesea, West Preston-Lakeside pair Josh Sims and Omar Mustafa, Bailey Caldow, Ben Rowan, Finnen Hoare and Zack Ferguson.

Owen Sloan played two senior and nine reserves games for the Eagles in 2021, while Clark featured in eight reserves matches.

Sims played 12 reserves games for the Roosters last season and Mustafa five but earnt four mentions in the best.

“Something the club lacked last year was a good ruck, so to bring in two 6’6, 6’7 ruckmen, it’s had a really positive impact on the rest of the team seeing we’re going to have some height this year,” Newport said.

“We picked up a couple of boys out of West Preston, Josh plays onball, forward, wing, so we’re pretty excited to have him, and Omar’s pace is electrifying and we’re told put him on a wing and he’ll burn the opposition up.

“You want to bring new players in but it’s been above and beyond what we expected.”

While there are plenty of ins, the outs are significant with 2019 best-and-fairest winner Lucas Aquilina (Greensborough), 2020 club champion and Team of the Year defender Jhye Baddeley-Kelly (North Heidelberg) and leading goalkicker Sage Dicello (Diamond Creek) departing.

After crossing from Whittlesea, the pair have had to defend themselves from accusations of poaching.

Of Epping’s clearances, 15 were from the Eagles but Lehner said he only approached two players.

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“I rang two players from Whittlesea, we got one and the other didn’t come, all the others contacted Aaron and I,” he said.

“We’ve heard all the stuff about poaching but that wasn’t the case.”

Newport adding: “When you’ve coached at a club for 10 years across juniors and seniors, which Glenn and I have done, you do build relationships.”

“Players follow coaches, if they enjoy playing under them then they’ll follow them for the opportunity.”