THE new Division 3 season is shaping as arguably the most intriguing in the competition’s short history.
The addition of the NFL’s newest club, Banyule, will offer an element of the unknown in 2015, as will Epping joining Division 3 after being relegated in consecutive seasons – the first club to do so in the league’s history.
Beaten grand finalist Reservoir has lost reigning club champion Daniel Couwenberg but added well to its midfield stocks, while much talk has centred around South Morang on the back of a successful recruiting drive in the off-season.
Corey McCall becomes the fifth Watsonia coach in four years and the Saints are hunting a third finals campaign in succession. Meanwhile St Mary’s and Heidelberg West are looking to progress up the ladder after winning five matches in 2014, making for an even competition all around.
Continue below to see your club’s player movements ahead of this weekend’s opening round of action.
BANYULE FOOTBALL CLUB
Coach: Jason Plant (new)
Last year: 3 wins – 15 losses (in VAFA Premier C)
IN: Alex Bottomley (Ocean Grove), Rory Butterworth (Heidelberg West), Eamon Charles (Tarwin), Brent Hay (Hurstbridge), Andreis Jurgens (West Preston-Lakeside), Kyle Shepherd-Mueller (Macleod), Abe Williams (Leitchville Gunbower)
Coach says: “The fact is we’ve never played a game in the league before so the first thing we want to do is to start building respect in the competition. We’re working really hard to do that.”
EPPING FOOTBALL CLUB
Coach: Steven Power
Last year: 5 wins – 13 losses (relegated from Division 2)
IN: Chris Chilcott (Heathcote), Shannan Ciaverella (Northcote Park), Lewis Harry (Montmorency), Adam Hull (Reservoir), Brendan Kostas (Fitzroy Stars), Adam Nash (Fitzroy Stars), Justin Settle (Fitzroy Stars)
OUT: Daniel Boudoloh (Northern Saints), Brenton Keating (Bundoora), Thomas Mendico (Avondale Heights), Josh Totino (Thomastown), Aaron Willitts (West Preston-Lakeside)
Coach says: “The mood is really positive. We’re pretty much a whole new side from two years ago so it’s been a real positive. We obviously felt that disappointment for the few weeks after the last game but we’re using that as a driving force going into 2015.”
HEIDELBERG WEST FOOTBALL CLUB
Coach: Derek Shaw
Last year: 5 wins – 11 losses (sixth)
IN: Casey Brown (North Heidelberg), Alex Demeo (Huntly), Will McLinden (Port Colts), Daniel Offer (Montmorency), Dylan O’Neill (Northcote Park), Liam Pender (Bundoora), James Redman (AFL Queensland), Matt Reinke (Montmorency), Josh Smith (Craigieburn), Nathan Walsh (Northcote Park)
OUT: James McLean-Brunton (Eltham), Kane Moore (Euroa), Cameron Taylor (Northcote Park)
Worth noting: Heidelberg West enters the new 2015 campaign on the back of its most successful season since 2006.
RESERVOIR FOOTBALL CLUB
Coach: Ross Terranova
Last year: 15 wins – 4 losses (runner-up)
IN: Judd Darby (Keilor Park), Robert Graham (Bundoora), Jesse Harris (Northcote Park), Kane Reid (Bonnie Doon), Luke Walsh (Keilor Park)
OUT: Daniel Couwenberg (Leitchville Gunbower), Adam Hull (Epping)
Coach says: “I think a lot of the boys took a lot out of (the Grand Final loss) and understand where we need to get better as a group and as a club in order to go to the next level. It’s not only on the field, it’s off the field as well and the way that we conduct ourselves.”
SOUTH MORANG FOOTBALL CLUB
Coach: Craig Lambert
Last year: 11 wins – 7 losses (third)
IN: David Berryman (Mernda), Simon Crump (Kilmore), Paul Harrison (Kilmore), Luke Manning (Kilmore), Matthew Manning (Newstead), Wayne Pavitt (Montmorency), Travis Stevens (West Preston-Lakeside)
OUT: Madison Bell (Hurstbridge), Ashley Hobbs (Euroa)
Football Manager says: “We wanted to have a good test in Round 1 and I suppose there’s no better test than having last year’s grand finalists. (We’ll see) how hard we’ve trained and how much we’re going to improve.”
ST MARY’S FOOTBALL CLUB
Coach: Con Borg
Last year: 5 wins – 11 losses (fifth)
IN: Anthony Belvedere (Bundoora), Haydn Bryce (Panton Hill), Brock Hartigan (Lorne), Raygan Tate (West Preston-Lakeside)
OUT: John Desmond (Greensborough), Simon Kefalas (Lalor), Scott McLaughlin (Lower Plenty)
Coach says: “Fitness levels of the guys are something we are looking at improving. I think there were seven or eight games last year where we were in front at three-quarter time and we didn’t win.”
WATSONIA SPORTING CLUB
Coach: Corey McCall (new)
Last year: 6 wins – 11 losses (fourth)
IN: Andrew Bennett (Parkside), Mahmoud Rafei (Northern Saints), Brendan Wheeler (Roxburgh Park)
OUT: Ben Anderson (Lancefield), Beau Cooper (Fitzroy Stars), Mark Roumanos (Lalor)
Coach says: “We’ve got a clear direction and a clear plan. No longer are we going to be known as just a third division football club. We’re going to improve our training standards and we’re going to improve our accountability to each other.”
