All Eastern Football League clubs have now signed a Senior Coach for the 2017 season with 14 clubs to be under the guidance of new coaches next year.
With the transfer window now open and pre-season training just around the corner the off-season is in full swing.
Division 1 will see both 2016 Grand Finalists with new men in the top job with former Brisbane Lion and player manager Marty Pask to take over the reigning Premiers Balwyn. Harmit Singh (Northcote Park), nominated for Senior Coach of the Year this season will take over at Vermont following the departure of Steve Cochrane.
The only other change in Division 1 sees Montrose continue its run of former AFL players in their top job securing the services of former Richmond and St Kilda player Adam Pattison.
In such a competitive Division there is no surprises that the changes are few and fair between in Division 2. Just two clubs will opt to change coaches from those that started 2016. Lilydale interim Coach Ben Neagle will take on the Falcons job full time while former Croydon Coach Maurice D’Alessandro returns to the Blues after a stint at VFL level with the Box Hill Hawks.
Faces familiar to EFL fans return back to the league in Division 3.
Former Mitcham coach Scott Homewood (pictured) will head to the bear cave in 2017 looking to guide The Basin to success. Also coming back to the Eastern Football League – Balwyn premiership player and Team of the Century member Craig Decorsey will take control of a Templestowe side looking to finally claim that elusive success in 2017. Decorsey played 64 games for the Tigers kicking 114 goals.
Other new names in Division 3 include Jarrod Bayliss (Park Orchards) and Robert Johns (South Belgrave).
Following relegation in 2016, Silvan have replaced Chris Murphy with South Belgrave interim Coach Michael Scoon, meanwhile Nunawading will be under the guidance of Paul Bevan as they look to continue their rebuild.
Familiar names occupy the final three changes in Division 4 with Sean Stanton Brother of former Mulgrave/ South Belgrave coach Hayden, headed to Fair Park (Eastern Lions) in 2017. Croydon coach Paul Newlands has also found a new home, after a long-term stint with Croydon, Newlands will head to Pinks Reserve to coach Kilsyth in 2017.
Finally Michael Cardamone, along with a host of Senior EFL players have headed up to Coldstream for the 2017 season. Cardamone spent the last few seasons at The Basin as playing assistant with this his first Senior coaching role.
BALWYN – Marty Pask BAYSWATER – Paul McCormack BLACKBURN – Kon Karavias DONCASTER – Andrew Tranquilli EAST RINGWOOD – Marcus Buzaglo MONTROSE – Adam Pattison NOBLE PARK – Mick Fogarty NORTH RINGWOOD – Peter Banfield NORWOOD – Denis Knight ROWVILLE – Peter Bastinac SOUTH CROYDON – Leigh Adams VERMONT – Harmit Singh
CROYDON – Maurice D’Alessandro DONCASTER EAST – Steve Buckle KNOX – David Madigan LILYDALE – Ben Neagle MITCHAM – Neil Winterton MOOROOLBARK – Paris Harvie MULGRAVE – Peter Greenstreet UPPER FTG – Chad Rogers WANTIRNA SOUTH – Matt Clark WAVERLEY BLUES – Ben Carboni
BORONIA – Peter Brown CHIRNSIDE PARK – Lachlan Tindal EAST BURWOOD – Wayne Cripps FERNTREE GULLY – Peter Farrell HEATHMONT – Joel Cordwell RINGWOOD – Patrick Bowden PARK ORCHARDS – Jarrod Bayliss SCORESBY – Brent King SOUTH BELGRAVE – Robert Johns TEMPLESTOWE – Craig Decorsey THE BASIN – Scott Homewood WARRANDYTE – Peter Muscat
COLDSTREAM – Michael Cardamone DONVALE – Matt Fife FAIR PARK – Sean Stanton FOREST HILL – Martin Stillman GLEN WAVERLEY – Ryan Flack KILSYTH – Paul Newlands NUNAWADING – Paul Bevan SILVAN – Michael Scoon SURREY PARK – Scott Hamill WHITEHORSE PIONEERS – Derek Shaw
Bold italics denotes new in 2017