WRFL: Parkside no longer scared of Division 1 after salary cap cuts
Parkside coach Chris Muratore says the statewide salary cap cuts have given the Western Region Football League club hope it is capable of competing in the top flight.
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Parkside has declared its ambition to tackle the Western Region Football League’s elite on the back of statewide cuts to the salary cap.
Coach Chris Muratore said it was “100 per cent” realistic for his Magpies to have a crack at the top flight in coming years with the player payments limit set to be slashed to a maximum of $100,000 in Division 1 competitions for the next three years.
WRFL Division 2 clubs have found it difficult to make an impact at the next level in recent years given the higher cap and gap between the grades.
Parkside is a former WRFL powerhouse and boasts 13 Division 1 premierships, the last coming in 2003.
“There’s not the need to find that (significant) extra lump sum of money to go up and compete,” Muratore said.
“It’s given us a little bit of hope that we’re not scared to win it now and go up and compete with the really good sides.
“It puts pressure back on the coaches to go recruit kids and develop what you’ve got, and the points system then comes in.
“I reckon it’s been the same top four in A grade in every metro comp for the last 12 years. It will be good to see what other clubs can do with some rules in place.”
The player points system also rewards clubs who develop homegrown talent, with Parkside focusing its recruiting efforts on youth since the end of the 2019 campaign.
Since winning the 2017 Division 3 flag, the Magpies have contested back-to-back preliminary finals and suffered a heartbreaking seven-point loss to eventual runner-up Wyndhamvale last season.
Muratore said his side was “stiff” not to advance to the grand final.
“We believe we’ve got the list to take that next step, at least make a grand final, and hopefully bring some more silverware back to Parkside,” he said.
“With the salary cap and the points, it really helps us because we’re a club that doesn’t spend (big) money, has a lot of one-pointers, so all of a sudden it’s in our favour to go into next year with what we’ve got.
“The list is getting stronger. It’s got a good mix of youth and guys who are in their prime.
“We’re working on a couple of recruits … hopefully we can land one or two more before the season starts.”
Before the 2020 campaign was canned, Parkside boosted its stocks with the signings of Maribyrnong Park quartet Matthew Alvis, Darcy Kennedy, Ed Pearson and Djaran Murray-Jackson.
Tom Markey (Strathmore), Luke Vraca (East Keilor) and Jonah Vraca (Tatura) also signed on, along with former Manor Lakes gun Jackson Lesko.
“We thought our top end was at a really good age, but we felt without any under-18s and juniors coming through, we really wanted to go out and get a lot of kids under the age of 22,” he said.
“Pre-2020, we only had four kids in that age group, and now we have 12.”
Muratore, who is locked in as coach until the end of 2022, said he expected to keep his senior squad intact for next season.
Optimism is rife at the Magpies as they look to push past the penultimate weekend of the year.
“This is probably the first time in a long time we can sit there and say the salary cap’s not going to hurt us if we win (the premiership),” he said.
“I’d love to see this club get back to where it belongs.
“I’ve always wanted to see this club in A grade and I genuinely think the comp is so even that anyone can win it.
“Credit to (2019 Division 2 premier) Yarraville-Seddon, they’ve gone up, but I’d love to play them again in a couple of years.”
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