Round 1 of the Bendigo Bank Maryborough Castlemaine District Football Netball League continues this weekend with games played on Saturday and Sunday.
Avoca v Dunolly
A new look Avoca Bulldogs will host Dunolly who will also be an unknown quantity under the guidance of former AFL great Shaun Smith.
Whilst Avoca has lost a number of players from last season including key players in Alec Wiltshire and Murray Bond, the Bulldogs have stocked up with some very experienced players headlined by Michael Henningsen, a former Feeney Medallist from the North Central Football League who has been a standout in recent practice matches. Henningsen is joined by Greg Hewson and Jake Nicholson who also bring a wealth of experience with them. New coach Jamie Briody has also brought a number of players with him from his previous club and the Bulldogs have also included the late signings of Haydn and Xavier Slater from Maryborough.
Dunolly have also been busy on the recruiting front and are expecting big things under the guidance of Shaun Smith. Jordan Fraser is a former Natte Bealiba junior who has been playing at Learmonth and he will bring some speed to the Eagles line up, as will the classy Matthew Gibbs who returns after a stint in the Ballarat Football League, while the return of former MCDFNL Under 17 Best & Fairest Justin Laird will add to their goal scoring ability.
Avoca has had the upper hand over Dunolly in recent years and it was a close margin last season with the Bulldogs winning by just six points. The home ground advantage may favour the Bulldogs but another close game is expected.
Avoca
B: Toby Beavis, Tyson Wardlaw, Jesse Britton
HB: Joel Carter, Desmond Critchley, Hugh Bucknall
C: Taylor Hall, Michael Henningsen, Andrew Hewson
HF: Bryce Howell, Ben Howell, Cameron Holland
F: Daniel Howell, Joel Howell, Paul Loaney
R: Lachlan Morganti, Jacob Nicholson, Taylor Raine
Int: Haydn Slater, Xavier Slater, James Walton, Mark Suckling
Dunolly
B: Hayden Wellard, Jeremy Hancock, Justin Moore
HB: Ryan O'Keeffe, Jordi Philbrick, Jordan Fraser
C: Michael Campbell, Tony Bellenger, Chris Wright
HF: Steven Shovan, Peter Wytkamp, Jamie Townsend
F: Jackson Baker, Bradley Schodde, Justin Laird
R: Grant Raven, Joe Thompson, Matthew Gibbs
Int: Damon Frawley, Toby Hudson, Jesse Hawkes
Lexton v Campbells Creek
Lexton and Campbells Creek look to repeat their finals appearances in 2014 this year, starting with their encounter at Lexton on Saturday.
A list of key departures matched by a list of impressive inclusions has Campbells Creek heading into the 2015 season as an unknown factor. Having led Creek to its first finals campaign since 1999, former coach Sean Smith has left the Magpies and taken a number of key players with him. The loss of Adam Pollock, Joel Smith and Sean Smith will be hard to replace, while another mid fielder in Josh Hutchinson also departs the Magpies which leaves a big hole in the onball brigade.
On the plus side, Mark Ashmore and his brother Chris will add some forward strength, while Chris Klimeck is also expected to return which will help bolster their back half.
Lexton has been a constant premiership threat since entering the MCDFNL and 2015 appears to be no different. A 15-1 win loss record last season saw the Tigers finish in second position on the ladder and through to a nail biting seven point loss to eventual premiers Navarre in the preliminary Final.
Coach Shane Fisher has assembled another impressive list of recruits over the off season, headlined by key forward Jacob Spolding who is a former 123 game veteran of the VFL and a dual premiership player with North Ballarat Roosters.
The Tigers departures list is minimal and big things are expected at the home of the Tigers this season and they should start the season on a high note with a comfortable victory over the Magpies.
Lexton
B: Jordan Egan, Ryan Wait, Liam Cullinan
HB: Nicholas Spolding, Tim Buby, Jordan Phelan
C: James Templeton, Scott Clark, James Morrish
HF: Ashley Davies, Riley Browne, Joshua McVitty
F: Lachlan Murray, Nathan Barnes, Jacob Spolding
R: Nigel Reid, Damon Aspland, Michael Smith
Int: Bryce Karslake, Trevor Johnson, Mitchell Kennedy, Justin White
Campbells Creek
B: Luke Pritchard, Chris Klimeck, Jayden Molloy
HB: Brett Thomson, Ross Slater, Shannon Berriman
C: Jye Cartledge, James Boag, Shaun Boag
HF: Matthew Lorenz, Davin Nicholls, Jayson Gilbert
F: Luke Ashmore, Mark Ashmore, Ryan Jeffrey
R: Dylan Gordois, Daniel Klimeck, Brandon Greenwood
Int: Anthony Taylor, Matthew Halacas, Brayden Beer,
Royal Park v Natte Bealiba
Two of the teams tipped to feature among the upper echelon of the competition are set to square off in the opening round of the MCDNL this Saturday when Royal Park go toe-to-toe with Natte Bealiba.
While the Swans have been a mainstay of the upper half of the MCDFNL ladder since they entered the competition four years ago, Royal Park were the success story of the 2014 season, rising out of the football doldrums to feature in their first finals series in more than a decade, and many are tipping the Tigers to progress even further in 2015, thanks to a healthy crop of new recruits.
With coach Greg Stewart now in his third year at the helm of the Tigers, their playing list looks the healthiest it has in years, and that's despite the loss of players such as tenacious midfielder Jarred O'Connor and hulking centre half back Oliver Schmidt, both of whom have departed the club in the off season. Coming in to take their place are the likes of former Avoca and Maryborough forward, Murray Bond, veteran midfielder Michael Noonan, utility Jake Pring and a host of former Bungaree players who featured among that club's senior and reserves premiership sides in 2014.
Natte Bealiba has also had a bumper off-season in terms of new recruits, with the club's Sandhurst connection yielding yet another key signing, with hard-running midfielder Jarred Bateson coming on board as an assistant coach to Shane Green, while Maryborough duo Emmet Smith and Michael Columbro have also both inked clearances to the Swans to further boost the club's depth. The expected return of former premiership forward and ex-captain Mark Fitzgerald is another major boost to the Swans' premiership after missing the 2014 season due to a knee injury. The only real loss from Natte's 2014 list is that of midfielder Kurt Torney, who has left after one year in the red-and-white.
Saturday's clash at Hedges Oval looms as a chance for both these sides to get a glimpse at just how good they might need to be to compete with some of the best the competition has to offer at this early stage of the season.
Royal Park
B: James Lindeback, Chris Cowan, Zachary Dunne
HB: Jay Anderson, William Short, Taylor Stewart
C: Shane Gray, Hamish Blake, Murray Bond
HF: Jake Pring, Jacob Cahill, Christopher Morley
F: Lawrence Perks, Zachary Stewart, Joshua Brown
R: James Sutherland, Trent Pye, Stefan Pye
Int: Brendan Murdoch, Zachary Tunbridge, Ben Clay, Michael Noonan
Emg: Sam Anderson
Natte Bealiba
To be selected from:
Zachary Perez, Lachlan Cameron, Christopher Jardine, Jarrod Graco, Stephen Ross, Nathan Ross, Kurt Mortlock, Michael Columbro, Emmet Smith, Daniel Trewella, Trent Mortlock, Brayden Mills, Jacob Long, Matthew Van Der Ploeg, Jarrod Bateson, Brent Mortlock, Reece Perry, Thomas Douglas, Daniel Gifford, Jack Kennedy, Dean Graco
Harcourt v Trentham
Former Harcourt premiership star and ex-Campbells Creek coach Sean Smith will make his long-awaited return to the Lions' den this weekend as he gears up for his first game in charge of Harcourt against Trentham on Saturday.
After three years in control of Creek's senior side, Smith threw his hat into the ring to coach the club where he won four premierships during the Lions' heyday in the early to mid-2000s. Smith, who is expected to pull on the boots for the Lions, has done a solid job on the recruiting front, luring key Creek players along to Harcourt, including brother, Joel Smith, Adam Pollock and Sean Moss, while limiting the losses to ruckman Kris Davis, midfielder Joel Maddern and Nicholas Matricardi.
Their opponents in Saturday's clash, Trentham, represent something of an unknown, as they do at the beginning of every new season. Due to their distance from the other MCDFNL clubs, the Saints are somewhat exempt from the usual off-season gossip, but a quick perusal of the MCDFNL clearance list reveals a fairly strong off-season on the recruiting front for Trentham. The losses appear to have been limited, with the Saints only likely to lose young gun Callan Wellings to TAC Cup duties.
Smith will be hopeful that he can start his stint in charge of the Lions in winning fashion, and with a bevy of solid recruits, he should do just that.
Harcourt
B: Christopher Ling, Kyle McLean, Alan Mack
HB: Sean Moss, Joshua Collinson, Scott Jordan
C: Jackson McMahon, Paul Chaplin, Nathan Mitchell
HF: Daniel Smith, Christopher Stone, Sam Gale
F: Sean Smith, Joel Smith, Brayden Wootton
R: Adam Pollock, Adam Ward, Jeffrey McMurtrie
Int: Christopher Smart, Jack Douglass, Brendan Josey
Trentham
B: James Gray, Jonathon Nadin, Paul Smith
HB: Jake Keogh, Jamie Cutler, Elliot Drew
C: Callan Wellings, Christopher Whelan, Kasey Williams
HF: Luke Whitehouse, Taylor Drew, Ross Moloney
F: Brendan James, Justin Hoffman, Luke Adams
R: James Wicker, Mark Strickland, Lewis Bruton
Int: Daniel Lendrec, Hayden Sundblom, Lucas Byrne, Brok Wightman
Talbot v Maryborough Rovers
Talbot will be hoping a swag of off-season recruits and a new two-pronged coaching set-up will provide the catalyst the Hawks need to surge up the MCDFNL ladder as it prepares to clash with Maryborough Rovers on Saturday for the Barras-Melbourne Trophy.
Following the departure of Rick Andrews after just one season in charge of the Hawks, longtime Talbot servant Matthew Smith and newcomer Dallas Byars have taken the reins at the club, and have brought in a bevy of new faces in an attempt to further the club's chances of featuring in the finals in 2015. Byars has exercised some of his Central Highlands Football League connections in order to bring some much-needed depth to the club, while former Maryborough and East Point midfielder Liam Belcher has signed on with the Hawks after a stint out of the game to pursue a powerlifting career. However, the Hawks' restructuring hasn't been without its losses, with inside midfielder Rowan Prentice heading to Hepburn, while ruckman Nathan Bourke has also departed.
The Hawks' opponents in Saturday's clash have also undergone a recruiting spree of their own, with sixth-year Maryborough Rovers coach Scott Sellers continuing his quest to see the Magpies return to the competition's top eight. Chief among the new faces at Jubilee Oval are pacy former Kangaroo Flat midfielder Bryce Fletcher, and Brayden Guareschi, who returns to suit up in the black and white alongside brothers Ryan and Karson, following a stint with Carngham Linton. The Magpies have also suffered a minor exodus of players, and will be desperate to fill a gap in the ruck department following the departure of big men Matt Stiles (Royal Park) and Ty Stewart (Carisbrook) during the off-season.
Talbot
B: Kane Heathcock, Josh Sullivan, Daniel Romeo
HB: Matthew Smith, Timothy Carroll, Matthew Lewis
C: Jarrod Kemp, Luke Kemp, Matthew Gayton
HF: Jonathon Arnel, Tom Sutherland, Jorde Bux
F: Brendon Shine, Bradley Coffey, Ross Wise
R: Robert Conroy, Trent Barras, Drew Hancock
Int: Timothy Solomon, Liam Belcher, Clarence Ferguson, Lachlan Griffiths
Maryborough Rovers
To be selected from:
Scott Sellers, Brett Monk, Bryce Fletcher, Brendon Hedger, Christopher Gunn, Richard Phillips,Adam Mclean, Sam Burton, Aaron Westbrook, Brohdie Smyth, Daniel Jennison, Tristan Knights,Ryan Guareschi, David Popovski, Brayden Guareschi, Kel Chaffey-Jones, Karson Guareschi, Corey Wilson, Brad Fraser, Dion Hedger, Dylan Gibson
Maldon v Newstead
Maldon host Newstead on Sunday in the battle of the MCDFNL neighbours who have a strong rivalry between them.
The Bombers are expected to rise up the ladder this season after a horrible 2014 which saw them down on the ladder’s lower rungs.
An impressive list of recruits includes Shaun Burchell who returns to the club and will be sure to have the Maldon faithful smiling as the former Berry Powell Runner Up struts his stuff this season in the Dons colours. Josh Hutchinson is another that will add strength to what is already a very impressive midfield combination of Hayden Kelly and Tom Cain.
Newstead has a long list of departures this season including key players Mark Ramsey and Daniel Christmas who have been pivotal in the Steaders spine in their recent finals apperances, while Ethan Ford and David Wall were key players in the engine room. Newstead first year coach Nathan Webster is also a key in the engine room and will be looking to blood a number of the junior players from their promising Under 17 team from recent seasons.
The loss of key players could be hard to overcome for the Steaders and could give the Bombers the upper hand in what should be a close encounter on the scoreboard.
Maldon
B: Matthew Gray, Jamie Cox, Braedan Turtle
HB: Damien Gatti, Nicholas Kelly, Vaughan Williams
C: Bryce Roberts, Hayden Kelly, Matthew Thompson
HF: Jake Elliot, Luke Davey, Joshua Roberts
F: Shaun Burchell, Joshua Hutchinson, Kyle Winstanley
R: Michael Mulholland, Joel Cross, Nicholas McKnight
Int: Jeremy Cross, Lachie Josey, Nicholas Petersen, Christopher Milham
Newstead
B: Ashley Webster, Cody Kirby, Dale Bott
HB: Brent Devereaux, Ben Krol, Michael Dalrymple
C: Joel Pearson, Adam Hunter, Blake Renfrey
HF: Liam Gervasoni, Jonty Entwisle, Jacob Dalrymple
F: Bradley Richardson, Adrian Conn, Cameron Hepburn
R: Jayden Bott, Courtney Brown, Joel Smith
Int: Oscar Lynzaat, Scott Beames, Cameron Trait, Jordan Long
Emg: Ricky Bastin
Last Modified on 17/04/2015 13:30