By Josh Ward.
A tough but promising season for the Nunawading football program whilst their netball program continues to grow.
Senior Men’s
Ladder Position: 7th (2-14, 47.35%)
Leading Goalkicker: Jordan Lemke (38 goals in 14 matches)
Summary:
A tough season overall for the Lions senior men’s, finishing at the foot of the table for the third time in the last four years.
Despite this, there were still some signs of improvement, particularly in the opening half of the season where they would win their only two games.
The final month of the season saw their depth tested, something which saw them end 2024 with three losses north of 100 points.
Key Players:
Team of the Year forward Jordan Lemke led the charge in attack for the Lions, kicking at least one goal in every game he played this year bar Round 7 against Scoresby.
Luke Morris was once again reliable in defence alongside Harrison Miller, with both being named in the best on a consistent basis.
Jack Wensley, captain Konrad Bendrups and Jacob Virtue were also solid in midfield and attack, with Bendrups and Virtue kicking more than 10 goals each this past season.
Best Win: Round 9 – Nunawading 9.10.64 defeated Forest Hill 8.10.58 @ Koonung Reserve
A breakthrough win for the Lions, their first against the Zebras in over a decade and their first against an opponent other than Croydon North MLOC since Round 1, 2019 against Kilsyth.
Leading by 20 points at three quarter time, they were able to hold off a final quarter charge from the Zebras and win by one straight kick.
Whilst Lemke kicked three, he was well supported by Bendrups and Andrew Murray in attack. Cooper Winter also starred in the victory.
Off-Season Focus:
Hasn’t been an ideal start to the offseason for Nunawading, with Cooper Winter and Matt Hutchinson among the list of names departing for Norwood.
With those players leaving, retaining key players such as Bendrups, Morris, Lemke, Wensley and Virtue becomes even more vital for their chances of improving in 2025.
They’ve made a step towards the future, with 11 U19 players (at time of writing) committing to the Lions. If they can get a 19s side up then improvement could start coming soon.
Senior Women’s
Ladder Position: 6th (6-6, 123.95%)
Leading Goalkicker: Jordi Smith (11 goals in 12 matches)
Summary:
It’s another year where the Lions women’s program fell just short of a finals appearance in Division 4.
They started the season off slowly, winning just once in their opening four games before they started to find some form in the middle third of the season.
This form would translate into a strong end to the season, winning three of their last four games to see them finish a couple of games outside of a finals spot.
Key Players:
Lauren Demarte was stellar all season long in midfield, finishing in the Team of the Year and in second in Nunawading’s goal kicking charts and the Division 4 Best and Fairest.
Emily Whalan was also consistent throughout the season alongside new face Marnie Hourigan and Lions leading goalkicker Jordi Smith
Best Win: Round 13 – Nunawading 2.6.18 defeated Warrandyte 0.3.3 @ Warrandyte Recreation Reserve
A strong victory on the road against a Warrandyte side who had defeated eventual premiers Ferntree Gully at that venue two weeks prior.
In a scrappy game played in tough conditions, two goals in the second and final quarter was enough for Nunawading to get them over the line.
Alana Mawby had another solid performance alongside Emily Whalan and Nina Galligan. Demarte and Jetah Keighran were the Lions only goalkickers on the day.
Off-Season Focus:
Much like the men’s it hasn’t been the ideal start for the Nunawading women’s side, with Demarte set to play for Heathmont next season.
There’s already some decent talent there that’ll only improve. If they can pick up a top end player or two then they’re every chance of breaking through and playing finals in 2025.
Netball
Nunawading had three sides compete in the 2024 New Balance Netball season along with two in the inaugural summer netball season.
Its top team competed in Division 1 this year. Whilst it was a tough year they still picked up two wins to finish in ninth at season’s end. Nunawading’s third side in Division 12 had a similar season, ending the season in third last and with three wins.
The Lions Division 5 side was able to bring home silverware though. After finishing in second, the side won their two finals against Ringwood by a combined three points to win the premiership. Melanie Van Zuylen steered the ship in attack, winning the league B&F and goal shooting with 253 goals.
In the summer netball Nunawading’s Division 1 side finished in second, falling four goals short of making a Grand Final as they went down to the Glen Waverley Hawks in their only final
Nunawading’s Division 4 side also made finals after finishing in fourth with three wins and a draw. They too would lose their semi final to Bayswater by 28 goals.