By Ryan Long.
A crucial year ahead for Lilydale who will be looking to build on from what the club were able to create on and off the field last year.
Despite their final ladder position of ninth, the Falcons was still a chance to play finals for most of the season in what was arguably the most even of the five divisions in the league.
Coming into 2023, Senior Coach Luke McCormick is preparing for his second year at the club.
McCormick’s been delighted with what they have put together in a short amount of time with a high amount of personnel change.
“Last year was a connection and a building year given where the club had been for the previous twelve months with a big turnover and a very young list,” McCormick said.
“We wanted to create a place that everyone wants to be and really enjoy it.”
The club welcomed back Jayden DePace last season in one of the side’s biggest highlights of the season. DePace finished last year the same way he did in his last season at the club back in 2019, winning Lilydale’s best and fairest.
“Outstanding player, gives 100% every week, guys enjoy him, guys get around him,”
“He really enjoys the club and wanted to give back, just a strong, strong club person.”
The Falcons will again be a different looking side in 2023 with a few key departures including Beau Mitchener, Doug Wootton and Ryan McNay, all who have moved to lower division clubs.
Despite the talent that have moved on from the club, Lilydale have managed to do well on the recruitment front to find their replacements for the upcoming season.
“Through recruiting, we have replaced them, ultimately Ben Hickleton comes in as a key forward which is where Beau (Mitchener) was playing majority of his footy,”
“Matthew Laffin comes across from Blackburn as a midfielder/half forward player and with a couple of the under 19s coming up, we feel that where the list is at, we’re in a pretty similar position going forward.”
Of those recruits, Ben Hickleton is sure to play a big role to the club’s forward line structure.
Hickleton comes across from East Ringwood where he played a pivotal role in the side’s premiership win last year. In a talented forward line, Hickleton kicked 26 majors for the year, finishing in the Roos’ best six times for the season.
“His best mates that he hangs around with on the weekend play at Lilydale so ultimately it was all to do with his mates,”
“He has fit in beautifully, hasn’t put a foot wrong, we’re hoping he jumps at the footy and kicks goals the way he has done the last few years.”
The club has also welcomed back Patrick Klep, who returns home from South Croydon.
Klep moved to South Croydon in 2021 before playing the entire 2022 season for the senior side, proving himself as a high-quality premier division backman.
Similar to Hickleton, he’s come back to Lilydale to play amongst his former teammates.
“(Klep) Was an elite user of the footy before he left, he’s gone to premier for a couple of years and really enjoyed it there, enjoyed the environment and it’s probably what he needed, he had been at Lilydale his whole life and he needed to go up and test himself at the next level and learn a few of those next level behaviours.
“He did, he’s come back, has shown leadership since he’s been back, the reason he’s come back is exactly the same as Ben, all his best mates are here.”
“He has fitted in seamlessly, really looking forward to seeing what he does for us this year again.”
The 2023 Division One competition is set to be another tight one after last having with just one game splitting the Falcons with Bayswater and Beaconsfield. All of whom were in the mix of pinching a finals spot after the halfway mark of the season.
McCormick believes the side are certainly capable of being around the mark again in 2023.
“I think we lost five games by under a goal, so realistically the pass mark for us it to play finals this year.
“We’ve got to be realistically about going deep into finals, but we’ve got to be at least in the knick to play finals and hopefully sneak in and if you sneak in, you just don’t know what could happen.”