The senior teams for this week’s NFNL senior football matches.
As expected, a host of new faces have been named to play their first game with their new club in Round 1.
The Meadows Greyhounds Division 1 action begins under lights tonight, when Northcote Park hosts Bundoora at Bill Lawry Oval.
The Cougars have added star recruits Kyle Galloway and Charles Le Fanu, while Bundoora has added five new players, including Daniel Venditti and Sam Willatt. Both Dale Marshall and Daniel Guccione have been named for the Bulls after spending the pre-season with Essendon’s VFL side.
Nicholas Kempe and Michael Marotta have been named for reigning premier West Preston-Lakeside for its clash with Heidelberg. The first bounce is at the earlier time of 1:45pm, with the Roosters to also unfurl their 2018 premiership flag.
Heidelberg has included Jack Blair and Anthony Bonaddio as it looks to continue its good recent record against the Roosters.
Greensborough has named former Brisbane and Carlton midfielder and new playing-assistant Tom Bell for its trip to Hurstbridge. Ben Fennell, Jordan McIvor-Clark, Liam Read will also play their first game for the Boro.
Hurstbridge will also be rolling out the welcome mat for a host of new recruits, with Bailey Jordan and Jack Furlong returning to their former club, among five new ins. Tom Simpson has also been named after spending the summer with VFL side Coburg.
Harry Simington, Sahand Ghasimzadeh, Aron Burns and Matt Dornauf have all been named for Macleod for its home match against North Heidelberg at De Winton Park. Josh Totino also makes a welcome return from an injury layoff.
Western Bulldogs premiership player Shane Biggs and former North Melbourne midfielder Daniel Harris will play their first game for North Heidelberg, while Jesse Tardio and Jhye Baddeley-Kelly have both been named.
Lower Plenty has included recruits Josh Turner and Matthew Perazzola for its home match against neigbour Montmorency. Jai Robinson plays his first game for the Magpies, while Billy Jenkin returns after missing the 2018 season.
In A Plus Labour Solutions Division 2, the Fitzroy Stars have named 15 players who didn’t feature with the club in 2018. Among the names returning for the Stars are club legend Lionel Procter, Kain Proctor, Jai Burns and Brad Kairouz, while Carl Groth and Jake Firebrace will make their club debut.
The Stars’ opponent, Diamond Creek, welcomes Tom Bennett, Sean Casey, James Marchbank, Joel Randall and Oliver Stapleton.
Daniel Caruso and Ben Nesci will play their first game for Thomastown when the Bears host 2018 runner-up Eltham. The Panthers have made 12 changes from the side that lost last year’s grand final to Lower Plenty, which includes the addition of Matt Williamson.
2016 premiership player Hayden Mitchell returns for Watsonia for the Saints’ twilight match against second division newcomer St Mary’s, while young goal kicker Sam Indian is among three new inclusions for Whittlesea for its trip to Epping.
In Heidelberg Golf Club Division 3, Old Eltham Collegians has added 12 new players for its inaugural game in the NFNL. The Turtles host Panton Hill at Eltham College, with a radio broadcast of the match available on 88.6 Plenty Valley FM.
Playing-coach Cameron van Florestein and assistant Ben Fogarty begin their tenure with Heidelberg West when the Hawks host Mernda at Heidelberg Park.
Jake Potter returns to South Morang when the Lions make the trip to Kilmore. The Blues have added gun young recruit Chris Ryall, while Luke Chapman and Stephen McIntyre both make their return to the club.
Meanwhile, Justin Sherman has been named to play for Laurimar. It will be Sherman’s first game as a player for the Power after taking on the coaching role last season. He is joined in the team by five recruits, including Joel Regan, Kieran Sheehan and Jordan Wilkins.
The Power’s Round 1 opponent, Reservoir, has named seven new players, including Mitchell Hawkins.
Selected teams for the NFNL Women’s competitions will be named in the lead-up to each match.
Continue below for all the team changes. Click on the links to see the selected teams.
MEADOWS GREYHOUNDS DIVISION 1
Selected teams: Northcote Park vs Bundoora
Northcote Park: NEW – Kyle Galloway, Charles Le Fanu
Bundoora: Brenton Briffa, Luke Collins, Matthew Evans, John Jorgensen, Daniel Venditti, Samuel Willatt
Selected teams: West Preston-Lakeside vs Heidelberg
West Preston-Lakeside: NEW – Nicholas Kempe, Ali Khalil, Michael Marotta
Heidelberg: NEW – Jack Blair, Anthony Bonaddio, Tim Noakes, Daniel O’Dwyer
Selected teams: Hurstbridge vs Greensborough
Hurstbridge: NEW – Will Cookson, Jack Furlong, Bailey Jordan, James Mellerick, Max Scott
Greensborough: NEW – Tom Bell, Ben Fennell, Jordan McIvor-Clark, Liam Read
Selected teams: Macleod vs North Heidelberg
Macleod: NEW – Aron Burns, Matt Dornauf, Sahand Ghasimzadeh, Harry Simington
North Heidelberg: NEW – Shane Biggs, Luke Dowdle, Jarrod Fitzpatrick, Daniel Harris, Jack Mapleson, Morgan Persson-Clark
Selected teams: Lower Plenty vs Montmorency
Lower Plenty: NEW – Matthew Perazzola, Josh Turner
Montmorency: NEW – Jai Robinson
A PLUS LABOUR SOLUTIONS DIVISION 2
Selected teams: Epping vs Whittlesea
Epping: NEW – Thomas Burnside, James O’Brien, Dyllon Westra
Whittlesea: NEW – Lachlan Beattie, Samuel Indian, Harrison Jarvie
Selected teams: Thomastown vs Eltham
Thomastown: NEW – Daniel Caruso, Lawrence Lopiccolo, Ben Nesci, Brayden Plant
Eltham: NEW – Matthew Williamson
Selected teams: Fitzroy Stars vs Diamond Creek
Fitzroy Stars: NEW – Jai Burns, Brodie Cook, Jake Firebrace, Carl Groth, Jungala Ellis, Tindarra Hood, Bradley Kairouz, Dylan Kerr, Ryan Lovegrove-Hudson, Jared Payne, Kain Proctor, Lionel Proctor, Joshua Saveka, Djye Thorpe-Morgan, Corey Wanganeen
Diamond Creek: NEW – Thomas Bennett, Sean Casey, James Marchbank, Joel Randall, Oliver Stapleton
Selected teams: Watsonia vs St Mary’s
Watsonia: NEW – Aydin Dani, Julian Maloni, Hayden Mitchell, Michael Perfetto
St Mary’s: NEW – Jack Dean, Nathan Jasper
HEIDELBERG GOLF CLUB DIVISION 3
Selected teams: Old Eltham Collegians vs Panton Hill
Old Eltham Collegians: NEW – Luke Bower, Dylan DeBritt, Cody Johnstone, Dean Lymberatos, Lukas Lymberatos, Michael McMahon, Nicholas O’Kelly, Thomas O’Neill, Lachlan Pearson, Matthew Quinton, Nick Snowdon, Ben Tampion
Panton Hill: NEW – Nathan Hendry, Cameron Jordan
Selected teams: Heidelberg West vs Mernda
Heidelberg West: NEW – Ben Fogarty, Cameron van Florestein, Billy Wright
Mernda: NEW – Sean Collins, Matthew Dean, Ryan Kannegiesser, Andrew Marino, Anthony Niglia, Tyson Sparkes
Selected teams: Kilmore vs South Morang
Kilmore: NEW – Kieren Binion, Luke Chapman, Stephen McIntyre, Chris Ryall,
South Morang: NEW – Rohan Buzzini, Jake Potter
Selected teams: Laurimar vs Reservoir
Laurimar: NEW – Michael Brennan, Jesse McKinnon, Joel Regan, Kieran Sheehan, Jordan Wilkins
Reservoir: NEW – Eddie Arabi, Zacharias Cookson, Harrison Evans, Andrew Ghiller, Mitchell Hawkins, Marko Novoselek, Lachlan Walmsley
NFNL WOMEN’S (GRADING)
Selected teams: Eltham vs St Mary’s
Friday 7:00pm at Eltham Central Park
Selected teams: West Preston-Lakeside vs Diamond Creek Women’s 1
Saturday 4:15pm at J.E. Moore Park
