Melton Centrals coach Damien Zanic discusses the Blues’ expectations, recruits

Melton Centrals has had an injection of talent over the summer and combined with its existing squad is confident of making a run at the RDFNL top-six.

Melton Centrals players celebrate a goal. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Melton Centrals will field as many as 10 new faces when it runs out for Round 1 next week.

The Blues have welcomed several new faces through the summer and will have a new look under first-year coach Damien Zanic.

Former VFL stars Fabian Brancatisano and Hisham Kerbatieh are two of the biggest recruiting moves of the RDFNL off-season.

The pair, as well as Taygen Dennison and Kahlen Williams, bring premiership experience to Arnolds Creek Reserve after claiming a Western Division 2 flag with Sunshine last year.

Karl and Josh Ullrich bring top-flight experience, crossing from WFNL Division 1 club Yarraville-Seddon, while Anthony Piva, Ajdin Elkasovic and Brody Thrum have also come on board.

Jonathan Ferri in action for Melton Centrals. Picture: Hamish Blair

The club hopes the injection of talent – alongside the likes of Team of the Year gun Jake Armistead, captain James Roberts, Dylan Jobson and Evan Donoghue – can lift it into the top-six conversation.

Zanic said the club wasn’t putting any expectations of what the group can achieve.

“The boys are really keen to improve on last year,” he said.

“With the amount of new players we’ve got at the club it’s probably going to take a few more weeks to find our feet.

“It’s only my first year so I’m not setting any expectations.

“Our first hitout, I had no idea what to expect with so many new players, we’ve got almost half a new team from last year.

“We’re just going to go with it for the first couple of games, Woodend and then Melton South, and we’ll reassess after that.”

The Round 2 clash with Melton South will be the first Melton derby since 1996, the year Centrals entered the league and South’s last before departing for the Ballarat league.

Jake Armistead in action for Melton Centrals. Picture: Hamish Blair

The match will have a little extra spice with Jake and Will Thornton-Gielen leaving the Blues for the Panthers.

With close bonds between players on each side, there’s already been plenty of chat.

“It’s been a lot of talk, the boys are really talking it up,” Zanic said.

“A lot of the boys know each from each club, they’re trying to get under each other’s skin a little bit.

“It will be really good for the area, hopefully a good crowd, and we’ll see what happens.”

Centrals only won three games last season but had a strong core of players.

Armistead, Jonny Ferri, Dylan McDonald, Will Thornton-Gielen, Hayden Sproule, Kyle Rodgers, Brad Layton and Josh Thomas played all 16 games.

After finishing second in the league goalkicking in 2023, Dylan Jobson was limited to 12 appearances but still kicked a club-high 20 goals.

Zanic said several established players had taken their training to another level with new faces coming in to increase competition.

“James, the captain, has been outstanding and Jake Armistead has been terrific,” he said.

“Bray Layton has been quite consistent and Luke Castle, one of the twos boys, hasn’t missed a session.

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“Karl and Josh Ulrich, a couple of new boys, have been training really well.

“Everything has been pretty even, the boys are committed, they want to learn and get better, so now it’s up to them to take the next step and see how many wins we can get.”

Melton Centrals kicks off its campaign under lights in a season-opening night game against Woodend-Hesket at Gilbert Gordon Oval.

The Panthers await in Round 2 before a trip to reigning premier Riddell and then Diggers Rest in the opening month.