SPRINGVALE Districts will host the Southern Football League season-opener at Newcomen Road on Friday night, launching their second Division One campaign against Clayton.
The Demons have been joined by recent rival Dingley in the top tier this year, after the Dingoes broke their premiership drought last September.
Lyndale will carry the hopes of Greater Dandenong in Division Two, while the re-branded Dandenong Redlegs battle it out with the Doveton Eagles and Sandown Cobras.
Star reporters Paul Pickering and Stuart Teather cast an eye over the local hopes.
@BT Sub Sport News:Division One
Springvale Districts
THE Demons struggled to keep their heads above water in Division One last year, eking out four wins to eight – and comfortably clear of the drop zone.
Fourth-year coach Steve Hughes is not making any bold predictions for 2009, but he reckons his side is going in the right direction.
Ex-Bonbeach ruckman Perry Todd shapes as the big recruit – in both stature and likely impact – after impressing in his pre-season hit-outs, while former Highett captain Matt Sheahan will provide some experience across half-back.
Key position prospects Josh Pierpoint (Broadbeach, QAFL) and Trevor Kumetatis (Noble Park) have arrived to complement the Districts mosquito fleet.
Kumetatis has been joined by fellow Noble under-18 graduates Tim Beech, Jay Piggin and Brad Bruni, who should all play senior footy this season.
It wasn’t all one-way traffic from Moodemere Street though, with Demon goal-machine Mark Williams returning to the Bullring after a frustrating season 2008.
Other departures include Lloyd Wells and Travis Skidmore (both Keysborough) and Jason Hall (Cora Lynn).
Hughes says his troops are raring to go on Friday night.
“We’re fitter than we’ve been in the four years that I’ve been there,” he declared.
“Our attitude and energy has risen at training, and I think we’re better off in terms of recruits.”
@BT Sub Sport News:Dingley
2009 shapes as a massive year for the Dingley Football Club, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a maiden voyage into the SFL’s top competition.
The Dingoes have retained most of their premiership outfit, with the exception of Tolga Ayyuce (retired) and Daniel Brown (Mt Waverley).
Coach and spearhead Adam Quinn has been forced into early retirement by the knee injury that ended his 2008 campaign.
Meanwhile, the arrivals include inside midfielder Josh Boyle from Beaumaris, ex-Mornington utility Lee Wannacott and former Hampton Rovers forward Nathan Moorcroft.
Quinn is expecting more consistent contributions from youngsters Rob Mullen, Luke Bartholomew and Tim Ford, all of whom showed flashes of brilliance last season.
“We’ve got a very young and very enthusiastic list,” he said.
“I expect us to be 10 to 15 per cent better than last year, but you probably need to improve 40 to 50 per cent to compete with teams like St Pauls and St Kilda City.”
The Dingoes were barely challenged last season, and Quinn is craving a dogfight.
“Everyone’s looking forward to a contest every week.”
@BT Sub Sport News:Division Two
Lyndale
AFTER finishing second last in Division Two in 2008, Lyndale is a new-look club for season 2009.
Dave Duffield took over the reins from Matt Caples in the off-season and the new coach was talking tough in the lead-up to the season opener.
“I’m trying to set us a different culture at the club,” he said. “Mediocrity on and off the field is no longer accepted.
“I’m just getting the guys to get around the club; what you put in is what you’re going to get out.”
Duffield said the players had responded well and were on track for a much stronger season in 2009.
The coach was playing his cards close to his chest when it came to changes to the playing roster.
”We’ve recruited a few players, no big names or anything like that, just a few young guys, so we’ve actually got a pretty strong, fairly long list at the moment.”
@BT Sub Sport News:Division Three
Doveton Eagles
AFTER finishing one game out of finals contention in 2008, Doveton has picked up a number of players in a push for a top-four spot this year.
The Eagles welcomed 14 new players to the squad, while losing only one in off-season movements.
Coach Barry Giddens is back and he said the club would not accept anything less than top four this year.
“Anything less than finals will be a disappointment from our perspective,” he said.
“We tried to get a bit more maturity in our side this year.
“The 14 ins are ones players, which is going to make our job a bit harder to pick sides, but it’s certainly a position we want to be in.”
The Eagles will run with three captains this year: Paul Davis, Brett Hidgcock and Steven Ognjenovic.
@BT Sub Sport News:Dandenong Redlegs
DANDENONG is returning to its roots from the old Victorian Football Association (VFA), changing its name from the Demons back to its old VFA moniker, the Redlegs.
The name change is part of a push to reunite the Dandenong Football Club as a sporting hub in the region.
The club is attempting to rejuvenate itself after a dismal season in 2008, where the Demons won four games and finished sixth in Division Three.
New coach Brendan Allen is on board and he said there had been plenty of changes in the break.
“We’ve turned a few players over; basically what we’ve done is clean the joint out a bit, we’ve tried to get a new culture, a better culture, down there,” he said.
Allen said he was not setting his expectations too high too soon.
“We’re probably going to be in for a bit of hurt at the start, for a long term gain. I think we’ll be more than competitive, but I’m not going to say we’ll come out and win the flag straight away.”
Club stalwarts Brad Rae and Glenn Kemp will share the captaincy this year, and new recruit Chris Hatfield will take on assistant coaching duties.
@BT Sub Sport News:Sandown Cobras
LAST year’s cellar-dwellers will be something of an unknown heading into season 2009, according to new coach Gary Wilson.
Wilson said he had still not seen some of the club’s star players, despite the opening round looming.
He said he had a squad capable of playing finals, particularly given some of the players the club picked up in the off-season.
“If we play to potential, we’re a chance to win quite a few games,” he said.
Clint Sheedy and new captain Michael Robinson came across from Buln Buln, while Brenton Smith joined the list from VAFA side Mazenod Old Collegians.
But Wilson was not getting ahead of himself, saying he wanted to build a list for the future.
“My main aim is to get the team away from the bottom of the ladder, get them to know each other and get them to play the game together which would set them up for next year, where they could be much more competitive.”
