Clinton Brooks (right) and his Dingoes will meet a new-look Springvale Districts outfit in the Division One season-opener on Friday night, after the Demons farewelled Mark Charles (left) and a handful of experienced stars over the off-season. 31265
By Gavin Staindl
NEW Springvale Districts coach Clint Einsiedel has modest expectations for his Demons ahead of Friday night’s Southern Football League season-opener against Dingley.
The now-traditional round one derby will mark the beginning of a rebuilding phase for the Demons, who have lost a premiership coach and a wealth of talent and experience from the side that finish ninth in Division One last year.
The club’s best player, Gavin Vassallo, has returned to Noble Park with livewire forward Mark Charles, while experienced stars John McMurray, Nigel Scott and Waata Wells have joined Keysborough.
On face value, that spells serious trouble for the Demons in their bid to avoid relegation this season.
But Einsiedel has his sights firmly set on the future. And he is excited about an influx of young recruits, including key forward Daniel Turner and promising on-baller Jack Dickens – both arrivals from Sydney – and locals Sam Ferrari (Dandenong), Anthony Bernada and Luke Grabowski (both ex-Narre Warren).
“We’re at a stage of rebuilding at the moment and we’re working towards building a side that can put us into a position to win a premiership,” Einsiedel said.
“We have an average age between 22 and 23, so we’re going to play a ‘racey-pacey’ style of game with plenty of run and carry.”
Dingley coach Adam Quinn, who reapplied for his job after taking the Dingoes to sixth in 2009, is more ambitious about his side’s prospects.
He’s talking finals after pretty stable summer at Souter Oval.
The Dingoes have lost popular veteran Brett Gniel and ball-winner Cam Maine to retirement, but added full-forward Dean Tunbridge (Drouin), defender Ryan Dolman (Ormond) and young guns Dean Tunik (Oakleigh) and Zac Green (Mordialloc).
“We’ve had some key recruits, with younger boys who’ve been playing senior footy for three or four years and have bodies that have now developed,” Quinn said.
Quinn knows better than to underestimate the Demons ahead of Friday night’s clash at Newcomen Road.
“Round one should be a tough game, but I am expecting a good result,” he said.
Meanwhile, two wins was enough to keep Lyndale in Division Two last year, and new coach Kris Akers says 2010 will be about consolidation.
Lyndale has lost more than a dozen players from last season, perhaps most notably the Bastin brothers, Matt and Daniel (both to Chelsea Heights), and Christian Egan (South Belgrave).
“We won’t know where we sit until five o’clock on Saturday,” Akers said.
“I’m just hoping that we can be competitive. We’ve signed Brad Zeetman and Tim Hansford (Noble Park) as a non-playing assistant coach, but if I get my way he will pull his boots on.
“And there have been 15 or so blokes from around the area show up and they’re giving it a crack.”
In Division Three, the Doveton Eagles look set to lead the local charge again, despite some positive rumblings out of both Dandenong Redlegs and Sandown Cobras.
The emerging Eagles made the preliminary final under coach Barry Giddens last year, but will have to do it without century goal-kicker Ricky Ramsdale (Pines) in 2010.
Giddens will be hoping that Ramsdale’s departure can be covered by a young list that showed serious improvement last season.
Meanwhile, the Redlegs have lost a host of players to the Southern Dragons over the summer, replacing them with handfuls of arrivals from the Mornington Peninsula, Eastern and Alberton leagues.
They will be an unknown quantity again in 2010, much like the rebuilding Sandown Cobras, who have again experienced a huge turnover of players in the off-season.
Both clubs will be looking to distance themselves from the have-nots of Division Three when round one begins this weekend.
Round 1 match-ups: Div 1: Springvale Districts v Dingley. Div 2: Lyndale v Caulfield. Div 3: Sandown v Hampton, Doveton Eagles v Southern Dragons, Dandenong @ Moorabbin.
