Westmeadows expects to be among the contenders in EDFL Division 1 next year after solid recruiting drive

COMPETITION for senior spots looks set to be as hot as ever at Westmeadows next year after another recruiting drive which has seen the Essendon District Football League Division 1 club add 10 more players to its books.

EDFL Football: Westmeadows V West Coburg. at Westmeadows...Westmeadows coach Dave Connell

COMPETITION for senior spots looks set to be as hot as ever at Westmeadows next year after another recruiting drive which has seen the Essendon District Football League Division 1 club add 10 more players to its books.

After recruiting almost 20 additions last summer — many former Westmeadows players — the Tigers have again been busy hunting for recruits since their season ended in late August.

Cameron Trewin headlines the signings, joining as a playing assistant coach from Avondale Heights while Tamer Abdallah (Aberfeldie), Nick Avery (Yarraville), Matt Sammut (Riddell) and Nathan Taylor (Taylors Lakes) are also on board.

“We probably focused on getting some leg-speed and we think we’ve done that,” Westmeadows coach David Connell said.

“Apart from Nath Taylor and Cam Trewin everyone’s under 30 and probably half of the blokes are under 24.”

This time last year, Connell was trying to sell a vision for a club that had won two games in 2013.

But after rapidly improving to make a semi-final this year, the Tigers have found the going much easier on the recruiting front, with a view that ultimate success could be on the horizon.

“I think the way that we improved fairly rapidly this year has definitely helped,” Connell said.

“We’ll have a lot of numbers which is really good and all our junior age groups will have multiple sides as well. Sometimes you have your good times and sometimes you have your bad times but this looks like it’s one of those eras that could be good so we really need to capitalise and make the most of it.”

Despite the recruiting drive, Connell said he believed Essendon Doutta Stars would be the team everyone would be chasing next year after its relegation from Premier Division.

“For me, I think Doutta Stars are probably the team to beat,” he said.

“They were pretty stiff coming down, losing seven games by under a kick. I would probably, at this stage, rank us the next one. We think we’ve improved by six or seven goals.”