By Matt Fotia
Local football means a lot to all of us and here at the EFNL we’re committed to giving you the analysis it deserves in the weekly Eastland In and Under column, where Media Manager Matt Fotia gives you his three key takeaways from the weekend that was.
- Raising the bar
When Doncaster East parted ways with well-liked and even more well-respected senior coach Steve Buckle at the end of the 2021 season, a few eyebrows were raised.
Buckle had led the club to the promised land and his side had impressed across the stop start season, pushing the likes of Blackburn, Norwood and Vermont to the limit and were considered the ‘best bottom placed team’ that some coaching rivals had ever seen.
No one expected them to have been relegated should the season had been played out in its entirety.
So why in the world would the Lions go their separate ways? The rationale was that they wanted a coach to take them to the next level and it seems they thought Steve had taken them as far as he could.
This is not a knock-on Steve but is just a fact of life in sport and whilst this decision was a tough one, it looks like it might be the right one if the Lions performance on the weekend is anything to go by. Ryan James has added another layer to the way Doncaster East play – or at least want to play.
Not only will they continue to be a strong contested ball and stoppage outfit, but Doncaster East now have a patient, slick and stylish uncontested side to them, willing to move the ball side to side and rack up uncontested marks to spread the opposition defence and create more ‘one-on-one’s’ inside forward 50.
Against Doncaster on Saturday, they had 95 marks, with 84 of them uncontested.
James also cited a need for the Lions to avoid having a sole focus inside forward 50 and on Saturday they executed that plan brilliantly, with Sam Rowe (six Inside 50 marks), Chris Phelan (three) and Daniel Scala (three) all causing headaches for Doncaster.
In footballing (soccer) terms, Steve Buckle had got the Lions into the penalty box (Premier Division) and given them a chance to score and now they needed someone else to finish the job.
- The champs ride again
They’re champions for a reason.
Once again Ringwood and Vermont showed us that they’ll still well and truly be in the finals conversation in 2022, with the 2021 Division Two and Premier Division Minor Premiers pulling off a pair of remarkable come from behind victories.
The Redbacks, who had already snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in Round One against The Basin, seemed dead and buried when Heathmont held a six-goal break halfway through the third term, but in true Ringwood fashion ground their opponents down, and ran out winners, completely shutting Heathmont out of it to claim the Parker Family Cup.
They might not be at their fearsome best, but the Redbacks are still formidable and after three weekends and two clashes with likely top four outfits they sit 3-0 and are comfortable in third spot.
At quarter time on Saturday the Eagles doubters were feeling smug – yours truly included. They trailed Norwood by 38 points and having gone goalless looked more than unlikely victors against a hungry Norwood outfit.
A six goal to two second quarter closed the margin to 13 points at the main break, before inaccuracy saw them needing to overturn a 21-point margin at the final change, but it was all too easy for Adam Parker’s men, piling on six goals to one to run out 10-point winners.
It was the classic names standing up as well. Skipper and reigning Chandler Medallist Lachlan Johns was enormous – as per usual – with 22 touches and two majors, Andrew Ainger proved vital again with three crucial goals, including an excellent one in the last quarter and Robbie Ross proved once again that he will never age, finishing best on ground with 18 touches, 25 hit outs and seven clearances.
If the Eagles can overturn the Bulls at the Bullring this Saturday it might be time to put the purple army back into Premier Division’s pole position.
- Winless Wonders
0-3 is no one’s idea of a good start, but there are three of different versions of a winless start. There’s the expected version, the impressive version, and the downright panic station version.
Let’s start with the expected version – Upper Ferntree Gully.
Nearly everyone expected Upper to finish down the lower ends of the Division One table and no one has been shocked by their opening salvos.
In fact, Saturday’s effort against Wantirna South was something to smile about for Upper Gully fans, with the Kings sticking with the Devils until the final quarter, where they saw a 15-point deficit turn into a 38-point loss. The performances of Rory Bailey (three goals) and Gregory Lord (second time in best players this season) will give them confidence that whilst they’re likely to face the drop in 2022, the future isn’t all bad.
Now the impressive version – Mulgrave.
After an encouraging 2021 campaign, a number of people were worried that Mulgrave were set to go backwards in 2022 after a number of key players returned to regional competitions.
And whilst they sit 0-3, the Lions have gone anywhere but backwards so far in 2022.Ryan Webster’s chargers have taken one three undefeated sides so far this season (Boronia, Ringwood, and East Burwood) and all bar the second half against the Hawks, taken it right up to them.
2021 best and fairest Connor Tilyard has carried his form into 2022, whilst Troy Hanning has put together a strong fortnight.
The Lions still must tackle Heathmont and South Belgrave in the next fortnight and will more than likely be winless after five rounds but have already shown that they’re on the right path.
Onto the panic station version – Ferntree Gully.
When the Gully added Luke McComb and later Jack Flannery to their list over the off-season, several pundits had them right in the mix for the Division Three Premiership.
In fact, had the Eagles won a couple of extremely tight games back in 2021 they could’ve easily been minor premier and may have found themselves in Division Two.
Three weeks into the year and the Eagles should be worried more about Division Four than Division Two. They sit winless after three games and the context of the losses don’t help their cause.
Unlike Mulgrave, Ferntree Gully have played two teams that they should be beating if they’re serious about finals in Division Three, in Fairpark and Glen Waverley.
They’re now faced with two must win games against Warrandyte and Scoresby in the next fortnight, two they can’t afford to lose.
