36 DAYS TO GO | EFL Media will be previewing each club ahead of the 2019 season with the #InFocus2019 series, all thanks to Yarra Valley Water & Choose Tap.
By: Tash Gunawardana
IT’S a new era at Forest Hill with newly-appointed senior playing-coach Justin Scicluna in charge this season.
Scicluna takes over from long-serving coach Martin Stillman, off the back of Forest Hill recording 11 wins and seven losses for fourth position in Division 4 last year before a loss to East Burwood in the second semi-final.
Scicluna in action. PHOTO: Davis Harrigan Photography
The club has lost a number of regular senior players from its list in Todd Burger (VAFA), Harley Burmeister (Upper Ferntree Gully), Tim Johnston (SFNL) and Jacob Mowat (SFNL), while senior best and fairest runner-up Daniel Ousley returns to Rowville after a year at the Zebras.
Nick Pincott (East Gippsland league) and former club captain Adam Ziegerink (VAFA) have also departed, while 2018 senior best and fairest winner Jake Davis has retired.
“Some people looking in think we have lost our two (best and fairest) winners from last year but they don’t know what we have recruited in the off-season,” senior playing-coach Justin Scicluna said.
The club has signed Mount Evelyn duo Kane Jones and Talin Brill, along with brothers Josh and Brad Wylde who have transferred from Knox. Johnny Rozakis joins the fold from Wantirna South, while Jacob Zboril returns to football after last playing with Scoresby in 2014. Liam Carnelley also returns to the game after a year off, after playing seven senior matches for the Zebras in 2017.
“For us it’s a little bit of the unknown from the outside about us, but we know exactly where we are at and we know we are well and truly aiming to play finals,” Scicluna said.
“We don’t believe our window is closed and that’s what some people are saying, so we are happy to fly under the radar and we are happy to take that mantra and everything that comes our way.”
For Scicluna, it has been a smooth transition into the senior coaching role after serving an apprenticeship under Stillman.
Former coach Martin Stillman. PHOTO: Davis Harrigan Photography.
“I’ve found it really good to be honest, (I’ve) obviously done five years as a senior assistant,” Scicluna said.
“So I think it’s a fair apprenticeship, but the transition’s been really good.
“I’ve got really good repertoire with the group, been playing for Forest Hill previously (player for nine years) so I understand what the group is about and how to communicate with them.
“I believe the transition for myself has been a positive one.
“It has been really good being around Martin for the last two years, I obviously learnt a lot from him and my previous coaches.
“A lot of things I have been able to take on board from them and implement it myself into training and to the way I go about structuring, training and communicating to players.
“It’s been really good to learn from two great mentors who I hold in high regard.”
The club will compete in Division 4 this season under the EFL’s competition restructure, and is yet to name its captain for the upcoming season.
“We have decided our leadership group but we haven’t specifically nominated each player a role that will probably will happen after our pre-season camp on Saturday,” Scicluna said.
“So we will have a player vote, I believe it’s really important the players have some say in our leadership group and then we will make the formal decision after that – probably at our season launch to be honest, which is coming up at the end of March.
“None of the new players have been formed part of that leadership group. We stuck with the players who have been at the club before.
“The improvement in our existing players has been fantastic to see over the pre-season. Some of these players are primed to take their game to the next level.”
Off the back of six consecutive senior finals campaigns and three of them as runner-up, Forest Hill has high expectations heading into season 2019.
“We are under no illusions, we know that the competition is stronger, (with) East Burwood at the top and Coldstream and Silvan have picked up really well (and) so have the rest of the teams in the competition,” Scicluna said.
“Everyone is trying to achieve the same thing we are but we have aims to definitely play finals football, because we believe if we can get there when the whips are cracking then we can give the competition a real shake.”
Forest Hill begins its 2019 campaign against East Burwood in Round 1 on Saturday, April 6.
