By Ryan Long.
An interrupted year for Forest Hill meant the Zebras would miss out on finals action, finishing fifth for the second consecutive season.
Senior Men’s
Ladder Position: 5th (8-8, 87.30%)
Leading Goalkicker: Ben Rudd (22 goals from 16 games)
Summary:
A disappointing second half of the year saw Forest Hill finish fifth for the second consecutive year. At the end of Round Nine, the Zebras were 5-4, coming off three big wins in a row against Chirnside, Nunawading and ladder leaders Kilsyth.
Unfortunately for Forest Hill, they managed just three wins after the halfway mark of the season. Injuries did play a factor, 15 players were brought into the senior side, playing three games or less. The likes of Hanegraaf and Rowe, two of their key players and goal-kickers, playing just 9 and 10 games respectively.
At their best, the Zebras outplayed some quality sides such as Kilsyth and Chirnside Park, giving us a glimpse of their potential.
With the club’s Under 19 side going on to win the premiership, there’s still plenty of hope that the Zebras can finish back in the top four next year.
Key Players:
In the back half of the ground, Todd Burger had a fantastic season, making the Division Four Team of the Year, listed at Full Back.
Luke Stelling was one of the side’s most consistent players, finishing in the best eleven times from thirteen games.
Up forward, Ben Rudd finished as the leading goal kicker with 22 goals, while spearhead Mitch Hanegraaf still managed 21 for the year, having only played nine games for the year.
Best Win: Round Nine – Forest Hill 18.3 111 def. Kilsyth 9.13 67 @Forest Hill Reserve
By far their most impressive win for the year.
The Zebras pumped the Minor Premiers by 44 points in their Round Nine encounter this season. It was all off the back of a seven-goal-to-zip first term that gave Forest Hill a 34-point lead at the first change. They finished the game with a very accurate 18 goals from 21 scoring shots, including seven straight in the second half.
Mitchell O’Donoghue kicked six goals while Ben Rudd finished with four of his own.
Defensively, the Zebras kept the Cougars to just nine goals, also keeping the league’s Best and Fairest winner, Jayden Weichard, relatively quiet.
The win at this point of the season had Forest Hill three games clear of fifth.
Off-Season Focus:
Although there is still a lot to improve on for the Zebras, they’re not far off from making a return to the finals. Considering how many games a few of their experienced players missed during the 2023 season, they’ll be excited to have everyone back on the park for Round One.
Senior Coach Justin Scicluna recently stepped down as the coach of the Zebras. With the loyal club man stepping down, it’s yet to be announced who his replacement will be. That will be the first order of business this off-season.
Ideally, they’ll be able to attract some recruits to the club once their new senior coach is announced.
By far the biggest positive going into 2024 for Forest Hill is the fact they have a great crop of Under 19’s, many of whom will get their chance at senior level. It does show that the future is bright for the Zebras, as long as they can keep a hold of those players at the club.
Vets
This year, Forest Hill joined forces with Scoresby to field a side in the Veteran Men’s competition.
They finished the season with just the two wins from nine games, but fell short in multiple games by close margins.