Poll results for country clubs to watch in 2022
Footy fans have had their say on who they think will win the flag in eight leagues this year. See the results here.
Footy fans are predicting Yarrawonga will charge back into premiership contention in the Ovens and Murray league this season.
A reader poll conducted by The Weekly Times reveals the Pigeons will not only return to finals in 2022, but can also win the flag.
Of the 98 votes submitted in response to the question ‘Who will win the Ovens and Murray flag in 2022?’ 27 per cent nominated Yarrawonga just ahead of Myrtleford on 23 per cent.
Former Carlton player Mick Gibbons is among the Pigeons recruits this season with the club welcoming back from injury his former Williamstown teammate Willie Wheeler.
Albury, undefeated when the 2021 season was cancelled due to Covid, attracted 19 per cent of votes just behind Wangaratta on 21 per cent.
In other leagues, Traralgon (32 per cent) leads Leongatha (26 per cent) from the 92 votes cast about which Gippsland league club will win the flag.
North Warrnambool has just edged ahead of modern day powerhouse Koroit as the club expected to win the 2022 Hampden premiership.
The club is yet to win a flag in the competition.
The Eagles have attracted 36 per cent of the 69 votes lodged, narrowly ahead of Koroit on 35 per cent.
EARLIER
The 2022 season starts in less than a month away and anticipation of a Covid-free year is building.
The Weekly Times has scanned the state and identified eight clubs to watch this year.
They’ve all recruited strongly and are ready to take on the established powerhouses of their respective leagues and maybe even challenge for the flag.
TRARALGON
Traralgon is on the move with two notable signings with recent AFL exposure, goal-kicker Brett Eddy and midfielder Tom Schneider.
Eddy was snapped up by Port Adelaide when he won the SANFL goalkicking twice and Schneider was a rookie list player at Hawthorn.
They were also teammates of Traralgon coach Jake Best in premierships at Vermont in recent years.
The Maroons have also added 201cm ruckman David Brinker-Ritchie, who played for Gippsland Power last year.
Traralgon already has one of the league’s best key forwards, Dylan Loprese, and proven performers in Matt Northe and former coach Mark Collison.
The anticipated improvement will be tested first up when the Maroons play flag contender, Leongatha, in round one.
Best previously played for Leongatha when it lost to Traralgon in 2015 grand final.
“We’ve added some experience to our side and it’s going to be exciting to see how the experience mixes with the youth we’ve got,” Best said.
“We think we’re going to improve, but we’ve still got a long way to go to match Leongatha and Wonthaggi.”
MYRTLEFORD
The planets were aligning for Myrtleford to end a 50-year premiership drought in 2020.
The previous year the Saints charged into the finals and were beaten in the preliminary final by eventual premier Lavington.
Former GWS and Geelong man mountain Dawson Simpson joined the Saints shortly after, but the success-starved club pursuit of a second flag was stopped in its tracks by Covid.
Last year, when 13 matches were played, the Saints couldn’t recapture their 2019 best with a season-ending knee injury to co-coach Jake Sharp, a major blow heading into the season.
But his recovery and a string of key signings have the Saints firmly back in the premiership mix.
The two notable ones are Lavington’s premiership coach Simon Curtis and 2018 Goulburn Valley league best and fairest Sam Martyn.
Key forward Nick Warnock, who played with Martyn at Benalla, has also made the move to Myrtleford and will help cover the loss of 2019 O and M leading goalkicker, Lachlan Dale, who has joined North Hobart.
“We will be around the mark, but a lot of other clubs have dramatically improved their lists so it’s going to be a tough comp,” Saints president Ian Wales said.
NORTH WARRNAMBOOL
North Warrnambool’s chances of winning its Hampden league premiership has been bolstered by the signing 2018 West Coast premiership ruckman Nathan Vardy.
The 200cm giant will be reunited with former Geelong teammate Billy Smedts, who had returned to his original club in 2019 when North Warrnambool went within three points of winning an elusive maiden flag.
The Eagles lost to league powerhouse Koroit, with its win being six flags on the trot before the Covid disruptions of the past two years.
North Warrnambool’s current coach Adam Dowie led Koroit to three of those six premierships before making the switch to the Eagles in 2019.
Dowie also savoured the ultimate success as coach with Terang-Mortlake.
Before last season ended prematurely, the Eagles were soaring as the only to beat every other team.
The signing of Grovedale wingman Scott Morter to a list already comprising Jett Bermingham, Bailey Jenkinson, Harry Keast and Ben Kellett have fuelled expectations that success at the club is nor far away.
“I would be disappointed if we didn’t finish top three,” Dowie said.
‘We’ve been pretty unlucky over the last couple of years, but we’re due and we’ve just got to keep doing the right things.”
HOLBROOK
(Hume)
Osborne has long been the testing material for rival clubs as Holbrook discovered last year.
The Brookers suffered two heavy losses to the flag favourites, but hopes of making ground on Osborne have been boosted by a productive off-season headlined by the addition of Tallangatta and District league best and fairest, Michael Rampal.
The superfit 36-year-old was a standout performer for his former club, Thurgoona.
Other recruits include Andrew Mackinlay, who has returned to his original club after playing in an Ovens and Murray flag for Lavington in 2019 alongside Brad Carman, who will also be back at Holbrook on a permanent basis this year.
The Brookers forward line has increased firepower with Kolby Hennessy, who won the O and M reserves goal kicking last year.
But a major blow for the club seeking to snap a premiership drought stretching back to 2004 is the loss of league best and fairest Will Holmes to university.
“We’ve lost a couple, gained a couple and I’d like to think the ones we’ve gained have brought a bit more footy knowledge that will help launch us to the premiership,” coach Matt Sharp said.
ROKEWOOD-CORINDHAP
(Central Highlands)
Rokewood-Corindhap’s most successful season since joining the Central Highlands league was unfolding nicely last year before Covid hit.
The former Lexton Plains club had improved on its six wins in 2019 to be sitting third and preparing for their first finals campaign.
The build began when Ballarat Clarendon College teacher mates, Shaun Moloney and Brad Macgowan, joined the club three seasons ago as co-coaches and further strides forward are expected this year.
Zac Jenkins from Redan bolsters the midfield and Ryan Aikman, a goal kicking small forward, from North Ballarat will play alongside his younger brother, Matt, one of the club’s established stars.
Jack Kelly, the personal trainer of Essendon superstar Jake Stringer, is also making a playing comeback after a four-year break and the Grasshoppers have also picked up athletic key position player Max Riding.
“The players are very motivated which has led to the group being a lot fitter than they were last year,” Macgowan said.
“That has led to high training standards and expectations in general.”
SOUTH BENDIGO
(Bendigo)
Nathan Horbury’s first coaching job in charge of South Bendigo in 2019 didn’t exactly go to script when the club finished well off the pace with just five wins.
But the former Ballarat league star who won four club best and fairests and a Henderson Medal playing for Redan set about making amends amid Covid’s many curveballs.
The Bloods rose to a spot in the top five last year before the season ended early.
Progress came from the addition of Oli Simpson, Oscar White and Cooper Leon with the latter winning the club’s best and fairest.
More recruiting has come in the off-season.
The return of former juniors Isiah Miller, Liam Byrne, Bailey Hall and Blake Poyser have raised expectations the club’s finals drought of more than a decade will end in 2022.
“We’re pretty confident we can go deep into finals after the year we had last year,” Horbury said.
“We’ve got some pretty good depth now in a senior and reserve group.”
WY YUNG
(East Gippsland)
Wy Yung is emerging from the Covid doldrums with a familiar face remaining at the helm.
Doug Vickers was coach of the Tigers’ most recent flag in 2015 before returning last year when they managed two wins before the season ended abruptly after 10 rounds.
“We’re all very excited about the season ahead, keen to achieve better results than last year and reward all the hard training we’ve done,” he said.
Fuelling a resurgence in 2022 is Dylan Somerville’s return from an extended stint in the Gippsland league with Bairnsdale along with cousins Jobe and Nate Somerville, who are expected to force their way into senior ranks.
Brodie Anderson and Brad Daniels are also back from Bairnsdale and Billy Trinder has crossed from Lucknow.
The Tigers are also buoyed by the return of 2005 and 2008 premiership player Bayden Ashwood from rival club Lindenow where he played in a further four flags and won the league medal in the 2010s.
STAWELL
(Wimmera)
Stawell’s resurgence was well advanced last season before Covid came back.
The Warriors charged into second spot on the back of a 9-3 win-loss record and could be even better in 2022.
They have landed some key signings who all have connections to Stawell with David Morris top of the list.
Morris is a former club captain and returns from Geelong league club Leopold where he played as a midfielder and halfback.
Other notable recruits are East Burwood ruckman Jarrod Stafford and Mitch Thorp, a 100-plus match onballer from Blackburn.
Jack Walker, Jesse Barber, Jarrod Illig, Paul Summers and Sam Williams all remain core players for the Warriors who will be coached again by five-time best and fairest winner, Tom Eckel.
Eckel initially coached Stawell in 2017 before playing one season in the SANFL with Glenelg.
“We just want to keep the momentum going from last year, but there is a really good feel in the playing group at the moment” he said.
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