37 DAYS TO GO | EFL Media will be previewing each club ahead of the 2018 season with the #InFocus2018 series, all thanks to Yarra Valley Water & Choose Tap.
By: Daniel Cencic
Twitter: @DC_EFL
Newly-appointed Mulgrave coach Anthony Goodwin is keen to develop and improve the Lions’ young list this season, amid the retirements of club stalwarts.
With almost 400 games between them, Darren Butler and Rhett Wilsmore both hung up the boots at the end of last season, opening the door for youth which the club has invested heavily in.
“Obviously it’s going to be a little bit hard (this season) with players that have retired but that gives more opportunity to our younger players to play senior footy,” Goodwin said.
“We’re improving every training session that we have.”
Appointed in October, Goodwin played 250 games for Doncaster from 1995-2001, winning six club best and fairests and playing in the Sharks’ 1996 flag. He also played a season at Mitcham.
In the past three seasons, he has served as an assistant to Marcus Buzaglo at East Ringwood.
“He (Marcus) is great on game-day – he always backed me 100 percent – one thing that I did learn from ‘Buzz’ is trust your assistants which I have done this year,” Goodwin said.
The Lions have welcomed back Todd Kenny, who played for Boronia in 2017.
Kenny (pictured below, left) captained the Lions’ under-19s to a flag in 2014, and the new coach is thrilled to have him back at the club.
“Todd’s been awesome, he’s just had a bit of a foot injury towards the end of last year (but) he’s been full-steam ahead since December and he hasn’t missed a beat since – he uses the ball well and we’re rapt to have him back at Mulgrave,” Goodwin said.
The club has also welcomed a raft of young recruits this off-season from the Glen Waverley Rovers and the South Metro junior league, along with James Barlow from the Glen Waverley Hawks who has made an impression.
“He (James) has been excellent,” Goodwin said.
“He’ll probably start half-back for us at the moment, he trains hard, is a left-footer (and) understands the game really well and we’re certainly looking forward to him playing some good senior footy this year.”
Of the existing stocks, Goodwin is keen to blood a duo of youngsters this season who have impressed on the training track this pre-season.
“I’ve got two under-19s who I’ve got my eye on for playing senior footy this year, they’re top-age under-19s – Evan Sarkissian and Stephen Hatzinikolou,” he said.
“I know both of them because I’ve seen them play at the (Glen Waverley) Rovers where my young boy plays – they are very exciting players and I’m certainly looking forward to them taking the next step into senior footy.”
Reigning Division 2 Kenneth Wright medallist Seb Henderson looks set to follow up on a stellar 2017 season. Henderson collected 20 votes to claim the best and fairest, finishing one vote ahead of teammate Dean Siakoulis on 19 votes.
Goodwin believes Henderson will play predominantly as a forward this year.
“Every time we do competitive stuff he just loves hitting bodies, whether it’s teammates or opposition players,” Goodwin said.
“He’s one of our leaders at the football club – he could be playing all sorts of roles for us this year but I would think he’ll play a lot of football up forward this year.”
Mulgrave won six games last season to finish eighth.
With the impending competition restructure from 2019, Goodwin is keen to build early momentum, with the Lions taking on Bayswater, Doncaster East, Wantirna South and Mooroolbark in their opening month of the season.
“If we finish ninth or 10th we go down – we know that and we know where we’re at,” he said.
“I’ve got the boys fit, and I hope fitter than what they were last year – early wins for us are the key to 2018.”
Goodwin believes the season’s expectations will be based on improvement of the playing group, but says he is not afraid to make the hard calls along the way as he looks to steer the club in the direction of finals.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how each individual performs at a high level and if they don’t they will get a chance, but they certainly won’t get a second chance,” he said.
“I’m certainly happy to drop players if they don’t perform, like any senior coach or senior player that is striving to play finals football.”
The Lions will kick off their 2018 season at Bayswater Oval on Saturday, April 7.
