By Ryan Long.
Injuries hurt both senior sides in 2023, with the Senior Men surviving double relegation and the Senior Women making a Preliminary Final.
Senior Men’s
Ladder Position: 10th (5-13, 91.08%)
Best and Fairest: Brayden Kilpatrick
Leading Goalkicker: James Wilsen (50 Goals)
Summary:
It was a season that just didn’t go to plan for South Croydon.
After the highs of 2022, a great run home with a string of games at Cheong Park that led them into a Preliminary Final, the expectations were high on what the side could achieve in 2023.
The opening fortnight saw the Dogs win a thrilling night victory over East Ringwood, followed by a five-goal win over Blackburn on ANZAC Day.
Injuries began to pile up in the following weeks which led to a six-game losing streak that took the Dogs out of the finals conversation. Their injuries were highlighted by the loss of Max King, star ruckman and last year’s Chandler Medallist who missed almost the entire year.
The side also had a bit of unfortunate luck in the close ones this year. South Croydon lost five of seven games that were decided by ten points or less.
Sitting in relegation trouble at 11th, the Dogs won their final two games to guarantee that they would play in Premier Division once again in 2024.
One of the great highlights of the season despite the loss was Dano King’s 300th game milestone at home when the Dogs played the Roos. An all-time great of not just South Croydon, but the league itself.
Key Players:
Hard to go past Brayden Kilpatrick. Phenomenal year for the star midfielder who had to pick up a lot of extra workload with some of his teammates who were out through injury. Kilpatrick averaged an incredible 33 disposals, 9 clearances, 6 inside 50’s and 146 Ranking Points per game.
17 times listed in the best from 18 games, could not have done much more in 2023.
Kilpatrick was an obvious pick for the Premier Division Team of the Year, alongside teammate and key forward James Wilsen. Finishing the season with 50 goals, Wilsen averaged 2.8 goals and 4 marks per game.
Liam Cox was another big positive of the year, averaging 22 disposals per game, in the best nine times this season.
Best Win: Round One – South Croydon 9.4 58 def. East Ringwood 7.14 56 @East Ringwood Reserve
Local rivals reunited in Round One when East Ringwood and South Croydon matched up under lights.
The two sides had a strong and healthy rivalry, and both of their clashes were decided by less than a kick.
In Round One, it was South Croydon that held on for a two-point win. The game was played out in tough conditions as the rain pelted down for most of the contest.
James Wilsen kicked three goals in a low-scoring game, while the likes of Hofert, Jones, George and King all had great starts to the year.
Off-Season Focus:
The biggest change at the club is the appointment of Brendan Allen as the new senior coach of the club. The ex-Blackburn coach was appointed in November after six years at Morton Park.
For South Croydon, there’s plenty of upside despite where they finished on the ladder this year. The potential is there, we’ve seen what they look like at their best, which is clearly a finals contender.
Defensively, the side struggled at times of the season, only Doncaster and Park Orchards gave away more points in a season. It’s probably one of the biggest areas of their game that the Dogs will want to tighten up on.
Their depth was a concern last year so to state the obvious, must stay fit and healthy and have a bit of luck on their side in that area.
Senior Women’s (South Croydon Blue)
Ladder Position: 2nd (8-4, 141.67%)
Best and Fairest: Rachael Giddens and Brooke Smith
Leading Goalkicker: Taylah Black (32 Goals)
Summary:
The Premier Division South Croydon senior women’s side had another great season, making yet another finals series.
The side won eight games to finish second on the ladder, backing up from their 2022 Grand Final year.
Their start to the year proved they would be one of the premiership fancies, starting off with a ten-goal thumping of the SBL Wolves on ANZAC Day. They continued their form throughout the first half of the season, winning seven of their first nine games.
Form dropped off slightly in the last few games of the season with some key players out due to injury, but they managed to hold onto a top-two spot, earning the double chance.
The finals however didn’t go to plan, the Dogs were out in straight sets, losing to both the Eastern Devils and SBL Wolves.
Key Players:
Sharing the honours of the best and fairest award were Rachael Giddens and Brooke Smith. Both had fantastic and consistent seasons, the side was unfortunately without Brooke Smith for their must-win Preliminary Final against the Wolves.
Taylor Hammersley was another one of South Croydon’s most consistent players in 2023, eight times in the best and didn’t miss a game this year.
Listed as the side’s best finals player, Sarah O’Toole stood up with multiple key players of the squad missing the finals series. O’Toole was listed as best on the ground in both finals.
Taylah Black led the goalkicking once again in 2023, the small forward having yet another standout year. Two of her biggest games this year came against Whitehorse and Donvale, kicking five and six goals respectively.
Best Win: Round One – South Croydon 13.8 86 def. SBL Wolves 4.2 26 @Cheong Park
One of the side’s most dominant performances over the last couple of seasons against a strong opposition.
On a warm ANZAC Day, the two sides battled it out in a reasonably even first half. However, the scoring power that the Dogs possessed had the home side overrunning the visitors in the second half.
Recruit Ella Rose Bibby was unstoppable with four goals and the reigning best and fairest winner Taylah Black was back to her best with four majors of her own.
Katie Prendergast starred, creating plenty of opportunities for those forwards as South Croydon started their 2023 season with a 60-point win.
Off-Season Focus:
No reason to believe South Croydon won’t be competing for another finals spot in 2024.
Looking at their year, when fit and healthy, the side was the number one contender to knock off the Eastern Devils for the flag. Injuries and missing players certainly hurt their chances at the back end of the year. Katie Prendergast missed both finals, and Brooke Smith and Hayley Brebner missed the Preliminary Final.
If they can keep everyone on the field at the right time of year, very good chance that the Dogs reach a second Grand Final in three years.
Senior Women’s (South Croydon Red)
Ladder Position: 3rd (6-5, 182.04%
Best and Fairest: Brenda Lay
Leading Goalkicker: Danielle Zeniou (23 Goals)
Summary:
The club had its second competing team in the Senior Women’s competition, South Croydon Red.
The side won six games from eleven to finish third on the ladder and play off in the finals.
They battled out a thriller with the SBL Wolves in the Semi-Final, coming from behind to almost pinch the win, losing by just three points.
Key Players:
Taking out the best and fairest for South Croydon Red was Brenda Lay. With plenty of speed, Lay was one of the most exciting players in the competition, also having experience at the Premier Division level.
Danielle Zeniou also spent time in both South Croydon sides, but her influence in the Division Three team massively contributed to the side’s success. Zeniou finished the season with 23 goals from seven games. She also managed to finish as the side’s Runner Up in the best and fairest.
The most consistent player on the side in 2023 was Denni Egan, who was in the best frequently, including in the finals series.
Best Win: Round Six – South Croydon 9.3 57 def. Eastern Devils Black 4.5 29 @Cheong Park
An interesting quirk in the fixture saw South Croydon play the Eastern Devils in back-to-back weeks, both played at Cheong Park.
After losing the first encounter by 21 points, the Dogs turned things around for a 28-point win.
The 49-point turnaround was set up off the back of a massive second quarter that had the Dogs six goals in front at Half time. Danielle Zeniou was at her best, kicking five goals in the victory, while Clare Prendergast finished with two of her own.
A fantastic victory that also showed what the team could produce at their best.
Off-Season Focus:
Very similar to the other clubs that are in the same position as South Croydon with two senior women’s teams, the club will look to retain numbers in 2024.
One of the strongest women’s programs in the league, South Croydon are a definite destination club.
Netball
The club also participated in the 2023 Bendigo Bank Netball season.
South Croydon Blue competed in Division Five, finishing up in eighth place with three wins from their sixteen games.
Shaneyl Parker-Hawdon led the side’s scoring with 203 goals for the season.
Vets
In the BJS Vets Men’s competition, South Croydon qualified for a spot in the finals after going through the season with a record of 5-3. Twice throughout the season, they defeated an opposition by 100 points or more.
The Dogs came up short in the Semi-Final, losing to the eventual Premiers in North Ringwood.
Travis Lambe led the goal kicking with 13 majors for the season while Paul Medveckzy won the club’s best and fairest award.
