We preview every club ahead of the 2021-22 VTCA Senior Division season

It’s been a wild off-season in the VTCA Senior Division with several high-profile players leaving, making it the most open competition in years.

VTCA Senior Division season preview.

Who wants it?

The VTCA Senior Division premiership is wide open this season.

Several big-name players have left or changed clubs during the off-season, providing a major shake-up.

Premier Sunshine United as lost six players while their grand final rivals Doutta Stars will be without five.

Meanwhile, the likes of Haig Fawkner, Westmeadows and even wooden spooner Aberfeldie have set their sights on a top-four finish after strong recruiting campaigns over the winter.

The 2021-22 season promises to be a cracker and we’ve previewed every club below.

Josh Docking in action for Aberfeldie. Picture: Andy Brownbill

ABERFELDIE

Coach: Sohan Boralessa

Captain: Tallan Wright

Last season: 10th (wooden spoon)

In: Zach Mevissen (Melbourne), Jordan Kight (Footscray), Shaifi Moazzem (Footscray)

Out: Kieran Gray (Williamstown Congs)

Snapshot: Having been saved from relegation by Strathmore’s departure, Abers wasted no time strengthening their line-up with a trio of Premier Cricket recruits. Zach Mevissen spent the majority 2020-21 in Melbourne’s Second XI, playing 10 matches for a return of 15 wickets at 18.32 and 116 runs at 23.20. Meanwhile, Kight played 37 First XI games Footscray, including 12 this season where he scored 187 runs at 18.70, and Moazzem has played six seasons in the Dogs lower grades. The trio will provide critical support for Craig Sheedy who led the club in runs (344 at 34.40) and was second in wickets (14 at 21.93). However, the biggest boost should come from a return to Clifton Park after redevelopment saw the club spend the entire 2020-21 season on the road.

CRAIGIEBURN

Coach: Chris Laffan

Captain: Mick Berry

Last season: Division 1 premier

In: Shehan Hirudika (Melton)

Out: Sunny Taggar (Bundoora)

Snapshot: The Eagles make the step up to Senior Division without their Team of the Year and grand final hero Sunny Taggar. Craigieburn has plenty of talent with ball in hand but finding enough runs appears the main challenge. Nathan Pappin (194 runs), Sam Laffan (193) and Daniel English (191) were a long way behind Taggar’s club leading 455 runs and will face more consistent attacks in the top flight. Recruit Shehan Hirudika should help on that front after scoring 219 runs at 19.91 for Melton in 14 Subbies First XI appearances. But it’s the attack that should keep Craigieburn in most matches. English led Division 1 with 34 wickets at 7.18 last season and will again combine with Michael Bury (23 scalps), Narinder Sharma (17), Zach Orr (16) and Josh Eaton (15) to form one of the most potent batteries in the competition.

Harrison Barnes-Quail in action for Doutta Stars. Picture: Andy Brownbill

DOUTTA STARS

Coach: Janaka Deegodagamage

Captain: Pat Willach

Last season: grand finalist

In: –

Out: Hamish Moore (year off), Brenton Parchment (border restrictions), Jayden Borg (work), Rob Rutley (Ocean Grove), Connor Thompson (injury)

Snapshot: A grand final loss has been further soured by a tough off-season at Buckley Park. Hamish Moore, Brenton Parchment, Jayden Borg and Rob Rutley are all gone and Doutta Stars are looking at a rebuilding season. Whether that means a relegation battle time will tell. However, it’s not all doom and gloom. Patrick Willach will take on the captaincy after a breakout season that saw him deliver 503 runs at 38.69 and 19 wickets at 20.89. Brendan Ward added 225 runs while Harrison Barnes-Quail and Joel Whitehead snared 16 and 12 wickets respectively. Youth will be given time to shine this season as the club looks to build its next premiership team from the ground up.

DRUIDS

Coach: Michael Hay

Captain: Michael Hay

Last season: ninth

In: Brad McMaster (Lara), Oliver Willett (Tallangatta), Eamonn Scott (Clifton Hill), Asela Ylethge (East Keilor)

Out: –

Snapshot: After a top-four finish in 2019-20, Druids faced a relegation battle last season. Despite the team’s struggles captain-coach Mick Hay was named Senior Division’s Paxino Medallist after a stellar campaign that netted 374 runs at 31.17 and 10 wickets and will be relied on heavily again. However, the off-season has been fruitful. Oliver Willett is a Victorian underage representative who scored 434 runs at 31 for Tallangatta last season, ranked 13th in the Cricket Albury Wodonga top flight. Brad McMaster posted 393 runs at 26.20 opening the batting for Lara in the Geelong Cricket Association, Asela Ylethge scored 245 runs and took 13 wickets for East Keilor in Division 3 and Eamonn Scott picked up 14 wickets for Clifton Hill in the ECA. The foursome will provide critical depth with bat and ball that should save Druids from another fight for survival.

Paxino Medallist Mick Hay in action for Druids. Picture: Hamish Blair

HAIG FAWKNER

Coach: John Masci

Captain: Vaib Deshpande

Last season: fifth

In: Charith Mendis (Kerrimuir), Khalid Hassan (year off)

Out: Eddie Withington (Greenvale Kangaroos), Faizan Amin (Queensland)

Snapshot: Haig has finished fifth the last two seasons and will be desperate to take the next step this season. Key all-rounder Faizan Amin has departed for the Sunshine State and young paceman Eddie Withington will try his hand at Premier Cricket but the core of the team remains together. Off-spinning allrounder Charith Mendis arrives after 205 runs and 16 wickets for Kerrimuir in the Box Hill Reporter Wilson Shield to provide depth on both sides of the ball. Viraj Lakshitha was the leading run-scorer last season with 383 at 38.30 and more will be expected of new captain Vaib Despande who finished with 195 runs in his first season with the club. Evergreen club legend Amit Chaudhary will go around again after leading the wicket-taking – together with Withington – on 14 wickets.

KEILOR

Coach: Duncan Harrison

Captain: Nathan Beaver

Last season: eighth

In: Kristian Dixon (PEGS), Lucas Elliott (PEGS)

Out: Mitch Jamieson (Footscray), Dinuska Malan (border restrictions)

Snapshot: After surviving relegation battles the past two seasons Keilor will look to jump back up the ladder in 2021-22. However, it will have to do it without top order batsmen Mitch Jamieson and Dinuska Malan. The Blues have brought in PEGS pair Kristian Dixon and Lucas Elliott to try and fill the gap. Elliott scored 166 runs at 20.75 in Division 1 last season ad Dixon 165 runs at 20.63. They’ll support top run-scorer Robert Clements (424 at 35.33) skipper Nathan Beever (286 at 26.00). Keilor’s attack ranked eighth last season but remains intact, promising an improved output to ease their pressure on their batsmen. A top-four finish might be asking a bit too much.

ST ALBANS

Coach: Rob Nikolic

Captain: Rob Nikolic

Last season: Third

In: Mohammed Mehdi (Caroline Springs)

Out: Thilina Masmulla (Sunshine), Yuvraj Singh (Melbourne University), Sean McAndrew (Yarraville Club)

Snapshot: Despite losing leading run-scorer Thilina Masmulla to Division 1 club Sunshine, St Albans appears the best placed of 2020-21’s top four teams. Last season’s minor premier had an astonishing three of the top five wicket-takers and five batsmen who averaged more than 20. It’s a stacked line-up. Geeth Alwis is not just one of the VTCA’s but one of local cricket’s best allrounders after posting 436 runs at 48.44 (ranked ninth in the competition) and taking 23 wickets at 14.91 (ranked second). He’ll get plenty of support from the likes of Simon Lambert (419 and 11), Shanaka Silva (239 and 21), Brenton Cook (263 runs) and Arosha Janoda (19 scalps). Another top-four finish is well within the Saints’ reach and potentially a second premiership in three seasons.

Sunshine United celebrates its VTCA Senior Division premiership. Picture: Facebook

SUNSHINE UNITED

Coach: Dean McGrath

Captain: Neetan Chouhan

Last season: Premier

In: Qaiser Qadeer (Yarraville Club), Scott Dalrymple (year off)

Out: Kaushal Lokuarachchi (Sunshine), Sangaran Nandhalal (Yarraville Club), Roshan Laksiri (Caroline Springs), Adam Duxson, Leigh Sheridan, David Khera

Snapshot: The premiers have been decimated this off-season losing six players from the team that claimed the club’s maiden Senior Division flag. Between Kaushal Lokuarachchi, Sangaran Nandhalal, Roshan Laksiri and Leigh Sheridan the Tigers have lost 1134 runs and 31 wickets. However, such is United’s class, last season’s Senior Division’s No.1 wicket-taker Nalin Amarathunga (30 scalps at 11.70) and second leading run-scorer Tom Duxson (594 runs at 42.43) remain and will get plenty of support from captain Neetan Chouhan (383 runs), Tom O’Brien (16 wickets), Michael Glowacki (12) and Rhys Dodemaide (10). President Mark Dalrymple said this season would present opportunities for new players but expect the club to be in the finals mix once again.

WESTMEADOWS

Coach: Donovan Pell

Captain: Donovan Pell

Last season: sixth

In: Donovan Pell (Carlton), Darren Colaco (Carlton), Austin Wynne (Glenroy)

Out: Malith Cooray (Footscray), Danny Law (Tullamarine)

Snapshot: You’d be hard pressed to find a better recruit than Pell, who takes the reins as captain-coach from Tarek Moughanie this season. A Premier Cricket premiership player at Carlton, Pell has already had a massive impact at Westmeadows, energising the club’s pre-season. Moughanie is confident he is the man to take the club to the next level. A pair of paceman in Darren Colaco and Austin Wynne will also boost the Warriors’ wicket-taking power. Colaco played 31 Premier Cricket First XI games for Carlton, while Wynne was the Roy’s club champion last season with 20 wickets at an average of 14.65. Westmeadows was close to making finals in its maiden Senior Division season and you can expect them to be even better this season.

YARRAVILLE CLUB

Coach: Mitchell Johnstone

Captain: Mitchell Johnstone

Last season: seventh

In: Justin Bramble (Caroline Springs), Sangaran Nandhalal (Sunshine United), Andrew Cullen (full-time), Sean McAndrew (St Albans)

Out: Connor Poulton (Essendon), Allister Powell (Essendon), Qaiser Qadeer (Sunshine United)

Snapshot: The Clubbers don’t miss finals often and will be determined to bounce back after a seventh-placed finish last season. The arrival of Justin Bramble – premiership player and Team of the Year star with Strathmore in 2018-19 – and Sunshine United premiership player Sangaran Nandhalal are massive inclusions, while Andrew Cullen is back full-time after playing the final two games last season. A lot will again depend on superstar allrounder Trent Lawford who was Yarraville Club’s second leading run-scorer (326 runs at 29.64) and wicket-taker (15 wickets at 17.67) behind James Damjanovski (338 at 30.73) and Ash Sweet (16 at 20.56) respectively.