The 2012 Division 2 season ended with arguably the best Grand Final played in NFL history, with Epping defeating North Heidelberg by three points.
The result consigned the Bulldogs to a second consecutive season in Division 2 and the boys from Shelley Reserve look primed for another crack at a Grand Final.
With Shane Harvey still roaming in the forward half and Jarrod King and Blake Holmes back in the side, North Heidelberg is certainly one of the pre-season premiership fancies.
Arguably the Bulldogs’ biggest rival for the flag this year while be last season’s Division 1 wooden-spooner, Whittlesea.
The Eagles have netted Bundoora forward Paul Harrison and a number of other key signings during an off-season recruiting spree and will fancy their chances of a quick promotion back to the top flight.
Diamond Creek enters the season with a new coach, former Essendon premiership midfielder David Calthorpe. Last season the Demons fell to their earliest exit from the finals race in four years and will be looking to advance past the first week of the finals this year.
The Fitzroy Stars have signalled finals football as their sole objective in 2013, a year after competing in their first NFL finals campaign. With no significant list changes the Stars should be striving for their first Grand Final appearance in the Northern Football League.
After miraculously avoiding relegation last year, Hurstbridge looks capable of great improvement under new coach Jono Manzoney. The Bridges have brought in a host of former Division 1 players which will complement their list of talented youngsters.
Lalor and South Morang appear in similar positions this year with both looking to youth to lift them up the ladder.
The Bloods have lost a host of experienced stars but have shown encouraging practice match form under Damien Zanic, while the Lions will be aiming to improve on their four wins from last year.
Finally, Mernda looks to have assembled a competitive list as it returns to second division after winning the Division 3 flag last year.
The Demons have added talented Oak Park utility Andrew Smith to their side, along with the promising Mitch Kerslake from Pascoe Vale.
Continue below for a full breakdown of each Division 2 team.
DIAMOND CREEK
Coach: David Calthorpe (new)
Last year: 12 wins – 7 losses (fourth)
IN: Matthew Buchanan (Panton Hill), Glenn Ibbott (Bundoora), Grant McCracken (Montmorency), Scott Pepyat (Montmorency), Matt Walter (Macleod)
OUT: Chris Hodgson (Watsonia), Sam McEwin (Richmond Central), Alex Vella (Old Ivanhoe Grammarians)
Coach says: “What I’ll take from my experience at AFL level will be certain elements of professionalism and discipline. I’ll take bits and pieces from all the coaches I’ve worked under, even some of the guys I’ve played with. I’ll put it together in to what I think will be successful in the Northern Football League.”
FITZROY STARS
Coach: Travis Hodgson
Last year: 13 wins – 7 losses (third)
IN: Dean Holmes (Northcote Park), Brendan Kostas (Westmeadows), Corey Wanganeen (Rochester)
OUT: Nubbi Bux (Heidelberg West), Dustyn Currie (Bay Power), Eric Edwards (Rumbalara), Dalton Guthrie (Rumbalara), Jonathon Henderson (Rumbalara), Alex Kerr (Lyndale), Anzack Newman (Manunda), Shane Potter (Parkside), Josh Wanganeen (Girgarre), Matthew Weeberg (Parkside)
General Manager (Simon Minton-Connell) says: “Finals are our main ambition and then work from there. If we didn’t make finals we’d consider it really disappointing and a failure.”
HURSTBRIDGE
Coach: Jono Manzoney (new)
Last year: 3 wins – 15 losses (seventh)
IN: Leigh Catoggio (Eltham), James Currie (Kinglake), Matthew Duffy (Panton Hill), Dale Eames (Langwarrin), Daniel Francis (Macleod), Scott Gedge (Panmure), Michael Linton (Panton Hill), Ben Marshall (St Mary’s), Dylan Maxwell (Epping), David Mole (Kilmore), Tim Moulas (Montmorency), Daniel Renehan (Montmorency), Grant Sceney (Heathmont), Joel Sceney (Heathmont), Kiel Vann (Montmorency), Brett Woodhouse (Montmorency), Shane Woodhouse (Montmorency)
OUT: Gerard Kilkenny (Eltham), Calvin Robinson (Heidelberg West), Joshua Robinson (Norwood), Brent Whyte (Kilcunda Bass), Daniel Whyte (Kilcunda Bass)
Coach says: “What happens when you get some blokes from Division 1 what they do is they help lift the training standards and they help lift the professionalism around the club for all the other players to see.”
LALOR
Coach: Damien Zanic (new)
Last year: 7 wins – 11 losses (fifth)
IN: Matthew Brocchi (South Morang), Leigh Brown (Kilcunda Bass), Bronson Interlandi (Kilcunda Bass), Joe Murfet, Dean Papadopoulos (Heidelberg West), Luke Rizio (Coburg Districts)
OUT: Steve Camilleri (Epping), Volkan Cihan (Epping), Brendan Cottier (Watsonia), Beau Delcus (Epping), Paul Greco (North Brunswick), Glenn Holmes (Thomastown), Mark Holmes (Upper Ferntree Gully), Shaun Huy (Shepparton United), Tim Keily (Trafalgar), Erdem Ozturk (Thomastown), Dwayne Psarogiannis (Thomastown), Peter Shepherd (Epping), Nathan Thomas (Bundoora)
Coach says: “The players been very responsive and determined to make amends for last year especially. Even though we’ve lost a few players, I’ve always said that one door closes, another one opens up and there are a lot of eager blokes, particularly the under-19s, to get up there and play some senior football.”
MERNDA
Coach: Brett Wilson
Last year: 15 wins – 3 losses (Division 3 premiers)
IN: Robert Aparo (West Preston-Lakeside), Andrew Douglas (Katunga), Krystopher Douglas (Katunga), Matthew Duggan (Aberfeldie), Mitch Kerslake (Pascoe Vale), Andrew Smith (Oak Park), Brendan Wheeler (Frankston YCW)
OUT: Michael Ellis (Kilmore), Jacob O’Donnell (Coolangatta Tweed)
Coach says: “It will be hard going up a grade this year but we’ll be competitive. Hopefully we’ll surprise a few people with how we track and how we go with our game style.”
NORTH HEIDELBERG
Coach: Leigh Gray
Last year: 15 wins – 6 losses (runners-up)
IN: Blake Holmes (Wallan), Josh Gilbert, Jarrod King, Aaron Mutimer (Reservoir), Tyrone Walker (Fitzroy Stars)
OUT: Jai Heers (Broadford), Jordan McColl (Heidelberg West), Ben McCrohan (Parkside), Alex Miller (Moonta), Cameron Miller (Moonta), Brad Taylor (Rosedale)
Coach says: “We’ve had a lot better base to start from this year with a better pre-Christmas training regime and our defence is the one area we really need to tighten up and that’s what we’re really focusing on at this time.”
SOUTH MORANG
Coach: Anthony McGregor
Last year: 4 wins – 14 losses (sixth)
IN: Anthony Bonnadio (West Preston), Ryan Dunn (Eltham), Patrick Ndongo (Frankston), Harry Whybrow (Nullawil)
OUT: Matthew Brocchi (Lalor), Andrew Clarke (Watsonia), Adrian Cowles (Eltham), Shannon McLeish (Wallan), Thomas Pitts (Rye), Mathew Pow (Macleod), Shane Whitnall (retired), Heath Yates (Watsonia)
Coach says: “We aim to be competitive in every game and be in winning positions in every game. If we can convert that into wins, who knows what can happen? But we certainly do aim to make finals and be successful in any year no matter and I think we’ve got the side to do it.”
WHITTLESEA
Coach: Peter Bugden
Last year: 3 wins – 2 draws – 13 losses (relegated from Division 1)
IN: James Atkins (Kinglake), Brent Bailey (Violet Town), Matthew Bekker (Bundoora), Tom Bonson (Powelltown), Steven Dorsett (Kinglake), Matt Gersh (Seymour), Brendan Gleeson (Violet Town), Brodric Gray (Bundoora), Paul Harrison (Bundoora), Sean McAuliffe (Kinglake), Jordan Ormerod (Wallan), Glenn Poorter (Wallan), Dale Saddington (Violet Town), Ben Tsakamakis (Violet Town), Marcus Webb (Broadford)
OUT: Matthew Quinton (Euroa), Nick Snowdon (Euroa), Raygan Tate (West Preston-Lakeside)
Coach says: “We’re not taking anything for granted, we’re aiming for a top-two spot. The pressure will be on us very early on in the season and we’ve got to expect that pressure and we’ve got to suck it up and really perform week in and week out under that pressure.”
