Craigieburn already looking to next year as EDFL Division 1 club begins recruiting talks

THERE  may still be five weeks of the home-and-away season remaining but Craigieburn is already in the thick of recruiting key players it hopes will help bring improved success next year.

THERE  may still be five weeks of the home-and-away season remaining but Craigieburn is already in the thick of recruiting key players it hopes will help bring improved success next year.

After recording just two wins in the past two years, the Eagles have made some inroads under new coach Peter Bugden this season, but the young Essendon ­District Football League Division 1 side has struggled to get reward for effort.

It is hoped some experienced recruits next season will begin a change in fortunes for the club, which is vying to again play Premier Division football within the next three years.

“We’ve been very, very strong on the recruiting trail for the last four or five weeks,” Bugden said.

“We’re very optimistic in the new year there will be some very good ­signings at the Craigieburn Football Club.

“Craigieburn’s financially strong, got strong ­leadership off the ground and there’s a real fierce ­determination to play the young blokes and bring them up to speed.

“But we also want to bring in some more experienced players that can give us a big boost along the way.”

While getting into the ear of prospective recruits early might be important, the ­Eagles’ immediate focus is on avoiding relegation to Division 2.

The side sits two-games clear on the bottom of the ladder ahead of matches against Tullamarine, Hillside, Oak Park and Taylors Lakes in the final weeks of the season.

“We haven’t talked about relegation,” Bugden said.

“We’ve just talked about putting in four-­quarter efforts instead of three quarters and getting four points.”