VAFA club La Trobe University still searching for its best side as unavailabilities bite in early rounds

LA TROBE University started the VAFA season with clean slate, with just five players from its 2014 senior squad returning and a new coach spearheading the Division 3 club’s finals push.

S43WB705 WRFL Div 1 Hoppers Crossing v Sunshine at Hogans Road Reserve, Hogans Road, Hoppers Crossing . Hoppers Crossing coach Alan Ezard

TALK about starting with a clean slate.

La Trobe University began the 2015 Victorian Amateur Football Association season with just five of the 38 players it used in its senior team last year, as well as a new coach.

Former Essendon player Alan Ezard inherited a side where players would have been hard pressed to ­remember each other’s names, let alone their strengths and weaknesses on the field.

But Ezard said the sweeping changes had in many ways been positive, helping the Division 3 club move on after a tough 2014 campaign.

“Out of the senior squad last year, I went through all the numbers and there was 38 that played,” Ezard said.

“We’ve only got five of those left.

“It’s a massive turnaround, but the kids that we’ve brought in, they’re at the uni for the next 4-5 years.

“They’re all from 19-22, with about five around the 24 mark. I think that’s the oldest player we’ve got.

“It’s exciting for the club if we can hang onto those over the next couple of years and really build a very good squad.”

Ezard said a series of weddings had made selection a challenge over the early rounds, but he hopes to settle his team in coming weeks.

“That’s the hardest thing to get my head around,” he said. “One week you might have a full squad, the next week you’ll only have half the squad.

“It probably cost us in the first game when we had a few out and even against Power House, we had 5-6 out that day.

“It’s very hard to get a settled side in at the moment.”

The lack of continuity has contributed to a 1-3 start for La Trobe after four rounds, Ezard’s maiden win as coach coming against Glen Eira last week.

“I gather most of the sides are in the same position as what we are,” he said.

“If we get our best side on the paddock there’s going to be no doubt we’ll be right in amongst it.

“About halfway through the year we should get a good guide of where everyone sits.”

La Trobe slipped to seventh after a 68-point defeat to ladder leader West Brunswick on Saturday.

The visitors were never in the hunt at Ransford Oval, managing just one goal in the opening half.