WRFL 2021: Deer Park to be boosted by five key inclusions
Two former AFL-listed players will be among the key inclusions for the WRFL Division 1 club when the season resumes on Saturday.
Western
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Deer Park will welcome back a host of big names on Saturday as it looks to build on an encouraging start to the Western Region Football League Division 1 season.
The seven-time reigning premier lost several prime movers after its 2019 premiership triumph, but sit in fourth position with a 5-2 record after seven rounds.
With the coronavirus pandemic forcing two rounds to be scrapped from the home-and-away campaign, the Lions will resume against Caroline Springs this weekend.
Five of the club’s guns have recovered from injury following the enforced layoff, with former captain Jack Purton-Smith (three games this season) and Damien Cavka (one) to bolster the midfield and Ryley Barrack (two) the defence.
Jack Redpath and James Wong will also make their first appearances for 2021 in a boost to Deer Park’s firepower.
“We’re certainly going to have a different looking Deer Park team to what we’ve had, there’s no doubt about it,” coach Mark McGoldrick said.
“We’ve been a little bit inexperienced, but having said that, we’ve still been able to eke out five wins.
“To be honest, it would have been easy for us two be 2-5. We got on the right end of a couple of close results.
“Bringing all those blokes back who haven’t played for multiple weeks, and their big occasion players and premiership players, it’s going to make a massive difference to us.”
McGoldrick is looking forward to having full-forward Redpath and forward pocket Wong roaming the attacking 50m arc.
Ex-Western Bulldog Redpath contributed 45 majors in 2019, while flag winner Wong is a proven performer but has been limited to nine senior games in the past two seasons.
The pair will be complemented by the likes of Lachlan Smart, Billy Cannolo, Spiros Amarantidis and Trent Williams.
“It’s a pretty formidable forward line,” McGoldrick said.
McGoldrick said the club remains uncertain when and if Brendan Fevola will take the field this year.
The new-look Lions still boast plenty of talent, with Scott Greenhough, Rod Van Riet, Tim Quick and Smart among Deer Park’s standout performers so far.
“Given what the club lost and our restructure, we’re just going along quietly, but we’ve seen improvement every week,” McGoldrick said.
Altona, Hoppers Crossing, Werribee Districts, the Lions and St Albans make up the top five.
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