NFL 2019: Hurstbridge building for tilt at finals in Division 1 next season

Hurstbridge coach Jarrod Tilley is confident his side can prosper next season after steering clear of relegation for two years in Division 1.

Hurstbridge’s Tom Simpson on the burst. Picture: Stuart Milligan

HURSTBRIDGE coach Jarrod Tilley is confident his side can prosper next season after steering clear of relegation for two years in Division 1.

The Bridges were promoted to the top tier of the Northern Football League last year and have finished eighth and ninth in the past two seasons.

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Hurstbridge dodged relegation on percentage in 2017 and avoided the drop when it defeated Whittlesea in the final round of the home-and-away season this year.

“We don’t want to put ourselves in the same position as what we did where you’re fighting relegation,” Tilley said.

“We’ll try and move up the ladder, obviously. Set our goals high at the start of the year and hopefully get there.”

The Bridges have welcomed back Jack Furlong (Bundoora) and added key forward Bailey Jordan (Banyule).

New Hurstbridge coach Jarrod Tilley will set a high bar for 2019. Picture: Nathan McNeill.

Tilley does not expect ex-Collingwood and Western Bulldogs forward Travis Cloke to play in 2019 due to work commitments, but Hurstbridge has re-signed the bulk of its key players.

“They are starting to get to the right age where they can really influence the competition now a lot more,” he said.

“They are only 22, but they have played nearly 100 senior games, a lot of them.

“I think they have got an understanding now of what it takes in Div 1.

“We have been there for two years and I think it was a lot of their first experiences of Div 1. But they understand now what it takes.”

Bailey Jordan climbs for a pack mark for Northern Knights. Picture: Mark Wilson

Jack Furlong has crossed from Bundoora to Hurstbridge. Picture: David Smith

Former Northern Knights and Northern Blues spearhead Jordan was named in the Division 2 team of the year after booting 35 goals from 17 games this season, while Furlong was a member of Bundoora’s 2017 premiership side.

Tilley said he hoped Jordan and Cooper Perrin, who kicked 17 goals in 10 games this year, would form a dynamic duo in attack.

The Bridges hope the influence of veteran trio Daniel Keenan, Brayden Shaw and Ryan Jackson will help their developing group flourish in 2019.

“You have got two of them that have played at the highest level and one is a Northern footy league stalwart, a hero really,” Tilley said.

“It’s a good mix.”

Mark Pavlovski (Bundoora) and Tom Grimes (Warrandyte) are Hurstbridge’s most notable losses.

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