2014 EFL Pre-Season Wiki | Tomorrow: Silvan
by Victoria Halkias (@VictoriaMLH)
MARCH is here and the football season is upon us.
This only means one thing for the Demons – they finally have the chance to play with the big boys in Division 1.
For Montrose, the step up to Division 1 has been a long time coming, so much so that it was beginning to gain a reputation as the bridesmaids of the EFL, always making it to the Grand Final then falling short.
In 2011, the Dees met Lilydale and suffered a disappointing close loss.
You know what they say: if at first you don’t succeed, try again. And they did in 2012.
Fans were certain it was going to be their year. In fact, most were certain it would be their year. However Rowville had other plans, swooping in and stealing it out from underneath them, leaving Montrose heartbroken for a second year and longing after that illusive premiership.
They say the third time is a charm? And it was!
On a cold rainy day at Tormore Reserve at the end of the 2013 season, Montrose defeated Mooroolbark in a premiership victory the boys in red and blue will never forget.
Now? Montrose is well and truly set to tear up the premier Division.
“Everyone seems pretty excited and ready for Division 1. It’s been three or four years in the making and we finally got there,” said Montrose skipper Dean Stephen.
The star midfielder is incredibly positive and enthusiastic about the Dees’ upcoming Division 1 season.
“Our game plan focuses around key defense. We’ve been working on that. We are working on setting up our structure, getting fitter and stronger,” he said.
“We’ll be playing against bigger and stronger teams. We’re excited to play new sides, go to new grounds and see how the other teams operate. I think the excitement outweighs the challenges.”
The Demons certainly have many challenges to face – their first one coming at them in Round 1 against Noble Park.
“Everyone’s been training pretty hard and we’re on track for Noble Park Round 1 at home,” the Dees skipper said.
Along with Noble Park, Stephen has named Balwyn and Vermont as his team’s biggest competition for the season, but also acknowledges there are plenty of other teams, like South Croydon, Lilydale and Rowville, fighting for a spot in the top five.
“We’re really looking forward to playing and challenging those teams. I think every game is going to be a challenge, there’s going to be no easy games. I can’t wait to get started,” he said confidently.
With the season about to get under way, the Montrose captain is aiming high and already plans to lead his team to finals.
“We aim to play finals this year, first year up. We’ve had three or four really strong years winning about 90 per cent of our games. So our confidence is high,” he said.
“There’s a spot up for grabs, hopefully we claim it.”
It would appear that life at Montrose is pretty good at the moment, with a damn good line-up set to take the field at the beginning of the season.
Some new faces have been added to senior list from last year.
“We’ve picked up five guys from Gembrook, who have come down to play with us this year. We’ve got Steven Gough, Andrew Walker, Nathan Laversha and Leigh Scott. They’ve fitted in really well. They haven’t missed a session yet,” Stephen said.
The guys from Gembrook are also joined by Ricky Causer (AFL Queensland), Seb Colakidis (Boronia), Samuel Gibson (Ferntree Gully) and Hayden Pleming (Kilsyth).
“We’ve got a couple of young guys coming through as well and we’ve pretty much kept our whole list from last year,” Stephen said.
“Add that all into the mix, we’re fit and ready to go.”
There are so many great players in Montrose’s line up, but Stephen says the one to watch is their star ruckman. And he won’t be hard to miss this year!
‘Keep an eye out for big Andrew Haining. He’s grown a big beard. He’s fit as anything. Look out for him,’ Stephen announced.
So after years in the making, it would seem that Montrose has finally found its perfect match in Division 1.
They Dees are ready to roll.