Southern league: East Malvern regains former best and fairest Michael Cooke
A proven goalkicker, a centre-half forward and a midfielder will help East Malvern overcome the loss of three leading players.
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It’s been a few years since Michael Cooke played at East Malvern, but its supporters haven’t forgotten him.
He was an outstanding player in a strong team, winning the best and fairest in 2015.
Then he was gone, heading to the Bendigo league.
Now Cooke is back with the Panthers, at 32 approaching the veteran class but still more than capable of being in the top bracket of SFNL Division 1 players.
Last year he played with Shepparton Swans in the Goulburn Valley, kicking nine goals in Round 1 against Benalla.
Playing “deep’’, he’ll add some firepower to the East Malvern forward line.
Another recruit, Luke Armstrong, will play in front of him.
He’s a centre half forward from the Murray league and is superbly fit.
“He’s competitive … he works hard, he’ll get up the ground and get a lot of the footy around the wing. He’s not a stay-at-home forward, he’s more a lead-up-the-ground forward,’’ East Malvern coach Brent Chapman said of Armstrong.
“He’s big. He’s a bit taller than Ed Sim and built like Ed Sim.’’
Armstrong will help cover the loss of Mackenzie Bristow, who has hooked up with Wangaratta Rovers, taking Ben Timms with him.
The Panthers also lost top midfielder Luke Duffy, to Whittlesea.
Cooke, Armstrong and Karingal’s Nathan McDonald, described by Chapman as a “hard at it, workhorse midfielder’’, are the main additions.
Aidan Cellini, Nick Gauci and Liam Briscoe-Hough have made the move from St Kevin’s in the VAFA.
“To get a few ex-juniors back is very handy,’’ Chapman said of the trio.
Star ruckman Chris Carey has been named as vice-captain of VFL club Sandringham and is keeping East Malvern as his home club.
His absence leaves East light on in the ruck, but Chapman said he was happy to go in with the “competitive’’ James Tighello.
The coach envisages a “spine’’ of Lucas Hall at full back, Sim at centre half back, Matt Tighello in the middle, Armstrong at centre half forward and Cooke at full forward, with a midfield crew headed by top-liners Paul Fry and Tom Preece.
East Malvern was 6-6 when the 2021 season was abandoned.
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