Southern league 2021: Division 1 club-by-club preview
Former Collingwood champion Dane Swan is the biggest recruit to the Southern league in years. Here’s a Division 1 season preview.
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Star power has at times been lacking in Southern when compared to the other metropolitan competitions.
But it will be plentiful this year as the league returns from the COVID-19 shutdown.
Former Collingwood champion Dane Swan, ex-Magpie and Kangaroo Marley Williams, former Tiger Dan Connors and ex-Richmond and North Melbourne forward and VFL JJ Liston Trophy champion Aaron Edwards are among the headline-grabbing additions to Southern.
Williams was in the Port Melbourne Colts team that thrashed Oakleigh District when the season got underway on Good Friday.
The other clubs kick off their season this weekend.
Here’s a club-by-club look at their prospects.
BENTLEIGH
Coach: Peter Pirera
2019: 9-9 (sixth)
The skinny: The Demons are flush with young talent – they have two Under 19 teams – as they build a base for future success. Coach Peter Pirera is “really excited’’ about what’s ahead of his side, which has regained classy pair Kayne O’Brien and Hudson Thomas and gained former VAFA star Nick Wynne and Danny Baglava from Balwyn. They’ll help cover the loss of players of the calibre of Matt Troutbeck, Corbin Sutherland, Jake Anderson, Roland De Biase and Tom Backman. “We could play three debutants in Round 1 and have five Under 19 players in the side … there’s a very good chance that could happen,’’ Pirera said. “It’s really exciting for us. These kids are good footballers and some are ready now. I reckon we’ve got 20 Under 19 players capable of playing senior football. Obviously we might lack that little bit of experience but we’ll give a lot of teams a bit of a shake, there’s no doubt about that. And if things go our way we might be better than what people think we are.’’ The young Demons will be blended with the likes of ruckman Mitch Smart, Michael Rogers, a rejuvenated Jack Firns and Tom Massie, who missed most of 2019 with injury. A fitter Jayce Morgan and Matt Vorbach are others to watch. Bentleigh has co-captains in Rogers and Sam Lewin. Firns is vice-captain and Ben Cooper deputy vice-captain. The Demons host St Paul’s on Saturday night in the Battle of Bentleigh.
CHELTENHAM
Coach: Des Ryan
2019: 13-5 (runner-up)
The skinny: Speedy and skilled and with some excellent targets in attack, the Rosellas ripened into an exciting side in 2019 and were the first team into the grand final. But Dingley, more experienced and more at home in testing conditions, got the better of them in the decider. Chelt will surely come again. They’ve regained former Adelaide wingman and Sandringham VFL co-captain and forward Josh Fox from knee injuries. Fox played in the Southern league last year – the Southern Football League in Tassie – and from 11 matches stacked up 61 goals. Big Daniel Rendall, the son of former league star Matt, is a good inclusion from Parkdale Vultures, strong and willing and a ruckman of the tap and wrap variety. Ben McDonald, who figured in South Croydon’s Eastern league Division 1 premiership in 2017, will provide a steadying influence and experience in defence. And Corey Boardman from Noosa Tigers adds to the depth of the midfield for the Rosellas, who are counting Drew Kelly and Charlie Kelso as their main departures. Two young players are on VFL club Frankston’s books, with Finn Ryan (son of the coach) in the Academy group and Austin Johnson making the senior list. Both are expected to play a lot of games with Chelt this season.
DINGLEY
Coach: Danny Ades
2019: 13-4 (premier)
The skinny: LASM – Life after Shane Morwood – begins for the Dingoes, with star big man Danny Ades taking over from the four-time premiership coach. As a playing coach, he’ll have a strong support team around him, headed by assistant Tony Lavars, a three-time premiership player and best and fairest with the Dingoes. And he’ll have a strong group of players under him, with ace forward Justin Van Unen and former VFL player Andrew Godfrey joining earlier signings including former St Kilda City best and fairest Cameron Hanson, Jack Williams from Bonbeach, big Matt Terich from Seaford, Aaron Dunn from Mt Eliza, Aaron Hodges from Old Mentonians and Matt Edwards from the Bendigo league. Word is that Edwards, a fullback, can really play. In another positive, Lachie Lamble, a bright young talent, will spend the entire season with Dingley, having decided to take a year off from the VFL. Doubtless the standard of Division 1 will rise this season. Expect the Dingoes, with admirable depth and lots of talent and experience, to keep up with it.
EAST MALVERN
Coach: Brent Chapman
2019: 13-4 (preliminary final)
The skinny: the Panthers have been in the finals every year since 2015, rising to the grand final in 2018 and the prelim in 2019. It will be a surprise if they fall out of top rungs this year given the players they’ve added since they last played. In Tom Preece they’ve picked up the best and fairest from Shepparton Swans in the strong Goulburn Valley league. There’s Adrian Crawford, a best and fairest at two country clubs. There’s returning Southern league representative player Ed Sim. There’s classy midfielder Luke Duffy returning from a knee injury. There’s Matt and James Tighello, Leongatha premiership player Brok Davidson and Tasmanian pick-up Hayden Chrzanowski. It’s a decent list of inclusions for new coach Brent Chapman, a decorated former country player who replaces Nathan Robinson. But the availability of ruckman Chris Carey will have a large bearing on East Malvern’s fortunes this season. The runaway 2019 Southern league medal champion is back at VFL level with Sandringham and when he’s not around, the Panthers will be missing arguably the most influential player in the competition. James Tighello, a willing customer, will assume some of the ruck load when Carey is at Sandy.
HIGHETT
Coach: Brad Berry
2019: 2-16 (ninth)
The skinny: There should be a bit of bite and fight about the Bulldogs under new coach Brad Berry, an experienced and passionate football man embarking on his first senior appointment. He’s put a focus on fitness and conditioning and trying to have his team – still relatively young – play attractively, winning the ball on the inside and getting it out to some slick ball users on the outside. Highett has quietly assembled a good list of recruits. It started with the signings for 2020 – ruckman Dylan Atkins, Luke Edmondson, Taylor Meyer, Will Straford and Byron Wright – and has continued with the securement of wingman Will Bodman, half back Jesse Biemans and utility Flynn Brosnan from the Gippsland region, developing ruckman Jack Courtie and the return of former VFL-lister Jacob Duscher. The Bulldogs will have co-captains in Sammy Jackson and Yianni Pasialis, and two vice-captains in stalwart Tom Brown and young Straford, who spent some time with the Sandringham Dragons. Hightt won only two games in 2019 after coming up as the Division 2 premier, feeling some long-term injuries. “I’m not going into the club promising premierships,’’ Berry said. “But I am going in saying, ‘Well, you’ve been club that’s gone Division 2 success, gone up, gone back over the duration’. But we’re now here to establish as a long-term Division 1 club and the immediate objective is to push for finals. That’s the intention, long-term Division 1 participation and success and a really solid connection with the junior club.’’
MORDIALLOC
Coach: Brendon Moore
2019: 8-10 (seventh)
The skinny: A new coach for the Bloodhounds in former Frankston VFL captain and Mornington Peninsula Nepean league great Brendon Moore, who had been an assistant to Dessie Ryan at Cheltenham. But he’s an experienced senior coach in his own right, having been in charge of Frankston Pines a few years ago. Mordi fell down the ladder in 2019 and quite a few of the players have moved on. There will be a more youthful look about them this year, with Moore explaining that the club was mindful of bringing in some younger players and “fresh legs’’. Ruckmen Matt and Steve Devine are seasoned types, as are Karingal signings Cal Dixon and Dylan Gregson, both team-of-the-year players in 2019. Will Avery, Harry Edwards and Campbell Moore (son of the coach) have come across from Beaumaris (where they were prominent under-age players), Jai Hale from Parkdale Vultures, Jack Bailey from Bonbeach and Ben Stevenson from Frankston Dolphins under-age teams. Stevenson has just turned 18 and Moore thinks he’ll be a good player. The likes of Justin Summons, Nathan Evans, James Morris and Dave Marguglio will provide the experience for the Bloodhounds as they seek to stabilise and find consistency.
OAKLEIGH DISTRICT
Coach: Paul Howroyd
2019: 1-7 (10th)
As with Mordialloc, a new coach and quite a few new faces as settling in at the Oaks as they attempt to make the most of their reprieve from relegation at the end of 2019. They’d finished last in Division 1, but the league decided Division 2 premier Doveton Eagles wouldn’t be coming up over governance issues. The management of the club made the difficult call to let go coach Dom Carosella, an Oakleigh Districts favourite, after one year. In doing so, it described him as a “loyal Districts man for decades’’. “It has been tough going, and Dom’s commitment to the role has been unwavering. The club cannot thank Dom enough for his efforts.’’ In came Howroyd, a two-time premiership coach at St Paul’s. Since then quite a few people have told him the Oaks were a better team than a 1-17 record suggested. Oakleigh District has lost a few players and gained a few, and consolidation is the name of the game for 2021. Jake Bakes, who played a few matches for Sandringham Dragons and then Noble Park, is a good pick-up, as are Ryan Pearson, Darwin pair Beau and Xavier Cubillo, and experienced pair Matt Chapman and Mark McGill. There are also some good young players coming through, most notably Brett Crane, Jacob Garuffi, Regan Peddle and Bailey Kay-Glover. No one at the club is expecting the Oaks to be world-beaters. But under the experienced Howroyd they’ll be fit and play with plenty of heart.
PORT MELBOURNE COLTS
Coach: Graeme Yeats
2019: 10-8 (semi-finals)
The skinny: there has been no problem for City trying to drum up some buzz for 2021, what with the club signing former Collingwood and North Melbourne left-footer Marley Williams as a marquee player and ex-Sandringham and Dandenong Stingrays coach and Melbourne back pocket Graeme Yeats as senior coach. The Williams signing followed that of Western Region champion Kwame McHarg, Jase Perkins and Max Bruin for the aborted 2020 season. The Colts also had locked in Jake King, but he’s unlikely to be seen until the second half of the season, according to president Steve Duvnjak. Mason Crozier, from Rowville in the strong Eastern league, is an excellent signing and the Colts have secured a good ruckman in Hamish Hosking from Mulwala, where he made the Murray league team of the year. They also have a developing big man in Jesse Bowe, 205cm, who has been taking tips from former Geelong ruckman Darren Flanigan, an addition to the Colts’ coaching team. Add the new names the likes of Brad Sutcliffe, Jake Wood, Matt Sondergeld, Lewis Mildenhall, Max Mitchell-Russell, Mitch Clarke, Tyler Jones, Justin Taylor, Mitch O’Neill and of course Chris Deluca, arguably the best player in the league in 2019, and it’s clear there’s plenty of talent kicking around the Colts’ stable. They can give the flag a shake.
ST KILDA CITY
Coach: Matt Hoy
2019: 8-10, eighth
The skinny: How’s that, hey? Dane Swan playing at St Kilda City in the Southern league. The Collingwood Brownlow Medal champion has hardly missed a training session, is superbly fit and has taken on the role of leader at the Peanut Farm. “His mentoring of me, he’s been unbelievable,’’ coach Matt Hoy said. “I just try to learn and listen when he has something to say. He has a lot to say in terms of our structural stuff and he’s really constructive and positive. He’s got a big input in what we’re doing this year.’’ Swan will play 14 games for City, which has recruited two other former AFL players in ex-Tiger and Kangaroo Aaron Edwards and former Richmond left-footer Dan Connors. Kicking goals and taking spectacular marks, Edwards has been a much-decorated player at Frankston Pines in the past few years, as has Luke Potts, another major signing. Onballer Potts was a co-captain and best and fairest at VFL club Frankston. He’s also lured his former Frankston teammate Jordie Pollard, a tough little midfielder, to St Kilda City. And Pollard in turn has brought his former Casey teammate Wade Lees to the club. Lees is a left-footer who relishes the contest. There’s more: Eddie Espinosa has crossed from Murrumbeena, and versatile big man Mykelti Lefau has stepped away from Casey Demons in the VFL and will play solely with City this year. Shem Tatupu, who had a run with Frankston in 2019, will do the same. As Hoy points out, St Kilda City has seen little finals action in the past few years. “Once in six seasons, I think,’’ he said. “We want to get there and be competitive once we get that opportunity.’’
ST PAUL’S
Coach: Jason Heffernan
2019: 12-6 (elimination final)
The skinny: the Doggies’ focus has been more on retention than recruitment in the past few months and on that score they’ve done well. They did lose talented forward Harry Hunt to Old Haileybury in the VAFA. But they’ve kept all the players they wanted to, including the recruits lined up for 2020: ball hog Curtis Murfett, who had played in the 2018 premiership and won the best and fairest, another returnee in Brad Dolan (who kicked four goals in the grand final against East Malvern) and former Bentleigh midfielder Barama Blow. More recently they picked up handy left-footer Matt Windsor from Frankston Bombers. Coach Jason Heffernan will also look to promote young players like Matt O’Brien and Joe Walsh. Nick Stathopoulos, another bright prospect, is on the Port Melbourne VFL but St Paul’s can expect to see a lot of him. Heffernan is unsure where his team’s best will put it but with top-liners Matt Kreymborg, Will Clarke, Alex Spencer and reliable goalkicker Steve Muller leading the way, the Doggies will push for the finals again. “I’m feeling good that we’ve put together a good team and to retain everyone and see the excitement,’’ Heffernan said. “Now whether what we put on the park is competitive enough to be in the top three or four, or the top five, it’s all yet to be seen, isn’t it?’’
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