Doncaster legend Chris Annakis stepped into the role of senior coach of the Sharks in 2022 with the side winning five games in the Premier Division.
By Ryan Long.
Doncaster
Ladder Position: 10th (5-13, 58.13%)
Best and Fairest: Angelo Rambaldi and Kane Henden
Leading Goalkicker: Kyle Viccars (38)
Summary:
There was a clear difference between Doncaster’s best and worse form in season 2022.
After what was a tough opening to the home and away season, losing the first three games by an average of 45 points, Doncaster bounced back with two straight wins. They did have a couple of very impressive wins including a Round Nine win against Rowville away from home, one of the only sides to defeat the Hawks in 2022.
They finished with five wins for the season, tenth place on the ladder above Berwick and North Ringwood. The club didn’t have an ideal last month to finish off the year, losing to North Ringwood and then having two 100+ point losses to South Croydon and Noble Park to finish things off.
The year also saw Doncaster legend Chris Annakis lead the club as the Senior playing coach, taking on the role from Stewart Kemperman.
Key Players:
The club had dual best and fairest winners in Captain Angelo Rambaldi and Kane Henden. Rambaldi was brilliant in defence, averaging 20 disposals per game and 3.4 rebound 50’s while Henden averaged 23 disposals in the midfield along with 5 clearances and 5 marks per game.
Campbell Tweedie had a fantastic year, averaging 27 disposals and 5 intercept marks per game. He earned a spot in the Premier Division Team of the Year with teammate Kyle Viccars. The dangerous small forward kicked 38 goals for the season, the most of any Sharks player.
Best Win: Round Eight – Doncaster 10.10 70 def. Rowville 7.9 51 @Seebeck Oval
Arguably the biggest upset of the 2022 season. Doncaster travelled down to Seebeck Oval in Round Nine to take on the undefeated Hawks. The Sharks shocked everyone as they controlled the game right from the first bounce. They kept the fast-attacking Hawks side to just two goals in the first three quarters while kicking nine goals themselves. Despite a late fightback in the final term, the final margin wasn’t the best reflection of a game that was dominated by the Sharks. Kyle Viccars was on show, kicking another four goals.
Off-Season Focus:
There’s a lot of pressure on Doncaster in season 2023 with two sides facing relegation. They were comfortably safe from the bottom of the ladder this year but they’ll need big improvement next year to guarantee some safety.
The club have the biggest recruit of the off-season so far with Port Adelaide star Robbie Gray committing to the Sharks in 2023. He’ll certainly make a massive impact on the club both on and off the field.
One thing they’ll want to see next year is some greater consistency on the field. When they were off, they gave away some massive scores across the season.