Further development for Croydon North MLOC with a rejuvenated list in the men’s while the senior Women’s team qualify for a Grand Final
By Ryan Long
Croydon North MLOC:
Ladder Position: 6th (4-12, 62.72%)
Leading Goalkicker: Daniel Butera (25)
Summary:
After joining the Eastern Football Netball League in 2018, the KangaRams has steadily continued to improve, doubling their wins each year. The club spent an incredible amount of time over the off-season, recruiting players to the club. A total of 27 new faces rolled into Hughes Park this year, creating a very new look Croydon North MLOC outfit.
The club have made serious inroads this year, winning four games including an impressive 27-point victory over the Zebras in Round Five.
Their form tapered off in the backend of the season but seeing where the club is now compared to three years ago, the difference is incredible.
Key Players:
Most of the usual suspects in the club’s best players each week were guys recruited to the KangaRams in the off-season, proving that their extensive recruiting tactics were a success.
Daniel Butera who brought some experience from East Ringwood capped off an incredible year with the honours of being named Captain of the 2022 EFNL Division Four Team of the Year. Other recruits such as Robert Hudson, Jake Guerin, Robert Hudson and Riley Punnett all featured regularly in the club’s best players.
Best Win: Round Five – Croydon North MLOC 14.11 95 def. Forest Hill 10.8 68 @Hughes Park
Arguably the club’s greatest win since Croydon North merged with Mount Lilydale Old Collegians and formed the KangaRams. The side’s first big scalp in the Eastern Football Netball League, leading Forest Hill at every change to run out 27-point winners.
Daniel Butera finished with four goals while Mckane, Vorpasso and Hudson all had two each. Hudson, Currie and Visser all starred and were listed as the top three best players on the ground. It’s a great sign for the club going forward, giving them plenty of confidence in 2023 that their best football is good enough.
Off-Season Focus:
Although the club have come a long way from their debut season in the EFNL, there’s still great room for improvement considering their drop-off in the second half of the season.
The KangaRams have recently announced that Ben Oakes has accepted the senior coaching role, replacing Mark Holly at the helm.
The retainment of these recently recruited players will be another major key for the Panthers considering the type of seasons they’ve had. If they can keep the current list while working more on the defensive area of their game, they can continue to build up those season wins.
Croydon North Women’s
Ladder Position: 1st (11-1, 503.17)
Best and Fairest Winner:
Leading Goalkicker: Gabrielle Zappia (54)
Summary:
The KangaRams were one of the best attacking sides of Division Three all year, finishing on top of the ladder at the end of the Home and Away season, losing just one game during the Home and Away season. The club was also one of the highest-scoring sides in the league, averaging just over 79 points per game. This included a three-week patch of 100+ scores against Mooroolbark, Nunawading and Fairpark.
Unfortunately, a couple of key injuries in the Preliminary Final hurt the club’s chances of a premiership. They faced off against East Burwood in the Grand Final where they were defeated by six goals.
Overall, a fantastic year with very few blemishes and a lot to look forward to next season with a talented group.
Key Players:
The club had multiple star players that set the benchmark in the division. Brittany Grech capped off her great year, winning the Division Three league Best and Fairest with 14 votes with a dominant second half to the season. The forward line had one of the best duos in the competition with Gabrielle Zappia and April Jeeves combining for 87 goals over the year. Zappia was the leading goal kicker for the division by quite some margin with 54 to her name.
Natalie Laurie, Yalleen Flahive and Roxanne Calleja were other key players on the side that featured regularly in the best.
Best Win: Round 9 – Croydon North MLOC 7.9 51 def. East Burwood 7.4 46 @East Burwood Reserve
The only time East Burwood lost a game in their premiership year was a thriller out at East Burwood Reserve with the KangaRams getting across the line by five points. Capitalising more on their opportunities, the Rams kicked five goals to two in the first half, setting up a handy lead before they were caught off-guard in the third quarter.
An onslaught of five unanswered Croydon North MLOC goals saw the side take control of the match. Despite a late push from the Rams, the visitors held on, taking the top spot on the ladder.
Natalie Laurie was a clear standout, best on the field with multiple intercept marks including a great contested mark in the final minute of the game. Both Gabrielle Zappia and Brittany Grech had plenty of the ball, kicking five goals between them.
Off-Season Focus:
Croydon North MLOC was in the hunt for a premiership all season, their list is an impressive one, a very attacking side that doesn’t give up much of a score defensively. Another pre-season under their belts will go a long way and keep them in the premiership race.
Netball Review:
Croydon North MLOC (Section Two)
Ladder Position: 3rd (11-6, 64.71%)
In the highly competitive Section Two, Croydon North MLOC had a very strong season, qualifying for Finals by finishing third on the ladder. In the first Semi-Final, the KangaRams won convincingly 31 to 23, leading by at least six points at every break. A week later, they fell six goals short to Coldstream in the Preliminary Final despite an 8-to-4 goal last quarter by the KangaRams.
Throughout the season, they were one of the best defensive teams in the competition while having two of the best-attacking weapons in the section. Both Paris Saunders and Danielle Gazzola finished within the top ten of the section’s goal-kickers. Even more impressively, Saunders played just nine games across the regular season and finals, finishing with a tally of 149 goals.
Veterans
Croydon North MLOC also fielded a Veterans team in 2022, a side that finished fourth on the ladder with a record of 6 and 3. A fourth-place finish saw the Vets side face off against North Ringwood at Quambee Reserve in an Elimination Final. It was close all night but North Ringwood held on by a single point in a 35-34 point victory. Rhett Singer was the club’s standout, finishing in the best eight times while Benjamin Mullett led the KangaRams scoring with 16 goals from eight games.
