Coburg has set itself a lofty ambition for the 2021 VFL season

After several lean seasons Coburg’s leaders are bullish about the Lions hopes of playing VFL finals in 2021. Get the inside word ahead of Friday night’s season opener.

After just five wins in the past three seasons Coburg has set itself the lofty ambition of playing finals.

The Lions haven’t won more than two games since 2016 but some impressive recruiting has the club eyeing a quick jump up the ladder.

Expectations have only increased with pre-season practice match wins over Geelong and Williamstown.

Coburg will be almost unrecognisable when it runs out in Friday night’s East Coast VFL season opener against the Dolphins.

As many as 12 players could debut, headlined by former AFL-listed players Jack Maibaum, Tom McKenzie and Corey Ellis.

Ryan Exon in action for Coburg. Picture: Hamish Blair

Peter McEvoy in action for Coburg. Picture: Michael Dodge

Richmond VFL premiership vice-captain Jacob Ballard, key forward Nathan Mullenger-McHugh and Vic Metro defender Ryan Sturgess are also on board.

The influx of talent has raised expectations in training and for the new-look East Coast VFL season.

“”The expectations are definitely higher and it puts pressure on guys that haven’t had pressure on them before,” co-captain Ryan Exon said.

“I’m looking at our backline and thinking I need to be playing well otherwise I could find myself back at local level.

“The training standards are definitely higher, Jacob Ballard and Tom Silvestro did it last year and then this year Jack Maibaum, Charlie Thompson and Corey Ellis have done it again.”

It will also be coach Andrew Sturgess’ first game in charge having taken the reins before the cancelled 2020 season.

Sturgess said internal expectations had been too low for too long and it was time for the club to start asking for more.

“I’m made no secret about it that we’ve sat in mediocrity for too long as a club … we’ve competed well but we want to aspire for more,” he said.

Coburg recruits (from left) Tom Silvestro, Tom McKenzie, Nathan Mullenger-McHugh, Luke Nelson, Jack Maibaum, Corey Ellis and Jacob Ballard.

“Guys are now believing we can win and play finals football and it obviously helps when you bring in some really good talent and that’s raised our standards.”

The club’s recruiting is sure to create headaches at the selection table but it’s something Sturgess welcomes.

“It’s going to be tough and I’ve said that to the boys, for the first time in a long time we’ve got some internally competition for spots,” he said.

“And that’s not to say guys that have played in the past haven’t been deserving, everybody that plays at VFL has earnt that right but we’ve got to another level.

“Good football clubs should be having those hard decisions at the selection table.”

Ballard is one of four players lured across from Richmond’s VFL program along with Tom Silvestro, Charlie Thompson and Luke Nelson.

Mullenger-McHugh spent time on the Western Bulldogs list and spent 2019 at Box Hill, while Ryan Sturgess will play under his brother after training with Carlton before the 2020 season.

Coburg stalwart and co-captain Peter McEvoy believed there had been a massive shift since he first arrived at Piranha Park.

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“I’ve been at the club since 2016 and there’s been a real changing of the guard,” he said.

“We’ve gone through the young development phase in 2017-18 where we were on the end of some bad beatings but had a core group, like Ryan, Jesse Corigliano and myself.

“In 2019 we felt we were so close, we lost that many games by less than 10 points, but that’s footy.

“Then last year we added the experience we probably missed and by the end of 2020, in my time it’s almost the first time, the club has had to make really tough decisions on guys we would have loved to have kept.”