A Preliminary Final appearance for the Tigers while the club’s inaugural Senior Women’s side made their first-ever finals series.
By Ryan Long.
Mitcham
Ladder Position: 3rd (11-7, 129.31%)
Best and Fairest: Alex Barton-Smith
Leading Goalkicker: Jake Parente (73)
Summary:
A breakout season for the Tigers, finishing third on the ladder and making it to a Preliminary Final.
It was a big season for the club, their second season in Division One after their 2019 Division Two premiership win. The club had a tough opening fortnight, being tested by both Mooroolbark and East Ringwood. However, Mitcham followed those two losses to win six of their next seven games, putting them in the driver’s seat for that third spot and the double chance.
Despite a couple of losses late in the year to Wantirna South and Montrose, the Tigers finished off the season with three wins in a row, earning them the double chance. Having lost to Mooroolbark twice throughout the year, they went into the Qualifying Final as the big underdogs. A last-quarter blitz saw Mitcham knock off the Mustangs by 40 points and set up a date with Minor Premiers, East Ringwood. An eight-goal to zero second half by the Roos meant that the Tigers would have to meet Mooroolbark again to qualify for the Grand Final. It was a different story this time around with the Mustangs getting up by 27 points.
Key Players:
Jake Parente led the goal scoring for Division One, kicking 73 goals over the home and away season and finals. He also made the Division One Team of the Year, positioned at Full Forward. Winning the club best and fairest for the Tigers was Alex Barton-Smith. A fantastic season in the midfield saw him make the best eleven times. Jesse Uren and Tom Lovell were the two runner up’s with Uren also making the Team of the Year.
The likes of Laughlin, Elms, Glossop and Nicholas all had significant years as well.
Best Win: Qualifying Final – Mitcham 16.10 106 def. Mooroolbark 9.12 66 @Tormore Reserve
Twice throughout the year, the Tigers fell short against the Mustangs late in the game. In the Qualifying Final, they were finally able to put together a full four-quarter effort against Mooroolbark to knock them off. After a combined 15-goal first half, just one goal each was kicked by both sides in the third term with Mitcham holding a six-point lead. After Aaron Mullett put one through for the Mustangs a minute and a half into the last quarter, it was all Tigers kicking six unanswered goals. Jake Parente starred with another four majors with Laughlin and Hallo kicking three each.
Tom Lovell and Zac Elms did a fantastic job in the ruck, up against Ryley Monkhorst with Lovell being the Tigers’ best player on the ground.
Off-Season Focus:
Mitcham has been on the front foot early this off-season, recruiting some key names to the club. Nick Hallo joins brother Jackson, moving across from The Basin where he won three consecutive club best and fairests. Also adding to their midfield depth is Norwood’s Kieren West who can also push up the ground as a small forward.
Another scoring option up forward with Byron Wright committing to the club, having just come off kicking 60 goals in a premiership-winning season where he won the best on ground medal in the SFNL third division.
With plenty of depth at the club, the Reserves team also had a big year in 2022, making the Grand Final. Mitcham is still a young side too and are certainly building towards a Division One Grand Final appearance.
Mitcham Senior Women’s
Ladder Position: 3rd (6-6, 92.54%)
Best and Fairest: Cat Roscioli
Leading Goalkicker: Chloe Stokes (9)
Summary:
Another great achievement for the club was the inaugural senior women’s side that participated in Division Three of the Deakin University competition. The side showed great improvement across the season, winning five of the last seven home and away matches of the year.
Their first win came in the first round of the season against Mooroolbark when the Tigers romped home by 43 points at Walker Park.
Six wins from 12 games saw the club finish third and play off against Coldstream in the first Semi-Final. In tough conditions out at Silvan, the Tigers couldn’t get anything going in their forward half, unlike the last two times the sides met. Coldstream managed one major in the second half to knock off Mitcham in an upset by 10 points.
Key Players:
Catherine Roscioli won Mitcham’s Best and Fairest, in the best nine times from 13 games. As Runner Up in the B&F, Amber Micallef also had plenty of impact in the midfield, seven times in the best from nine games.
Hannah Linnett had a great season for the club, earning a spot in the Team of the Year for Divisions One to Four in the Ruck.
Leading the goal-kicking for the Tigers was Chloe Stokes with nine majors and featuring in the club’s best five times from eleven games. While Riley Holloway played a crucial role down back for the club across the year.
Best Win: Round 13 – Mitcham 7.8 50 def. Coldstream 3.1 19 @Walker Park
To secure a finals birth in their first season, the Tigers needed to beat Coldstream at home in the second last round of the season. They controlled the game for the entire morning, constantly sending the ball inside 50. Coldstream’s defence was solid but eventually, Mitcham continued to raise the pressure. They ran out 31-point winners in a terrific win for the club. Hannah Linnett was fantastic for the Tigers in both the ruck and as an option up forward, influencing the game. Amber Micallef also had a big game, finding plenty of the footy and kicking two goals.
Off-Season Focus:
Plenty of development for the girls as they head into their second official season in the Eastern Football Netball League. The club did a fantastic job to make the finals in their inaugural year, but they would love to do one better in 2023 and have their first-ever finals win.
Netball Review
Mitcham Black (Section Six)
Ladder Position: 5th (5-9-2, 88.98%)
Mitcham Black competed in the sixth section of the Bendigo Bank Netball competition, winning five games and having two draws. They finished fifth on the ladder, not quite being able to match the top four sides that went on to play finals. They did however manage to draw against third-place Boronia in a strong effort early in the season. Tara Nicholls led the goal-shooting for Mitcham with 85 goals while Jessica Repalust had 72. The club’s best and fairest went to Lauren Henry.
Mitcham Juniors
The Mitcham JFC continues to go from strength to strength. The club fielded 12 junior sides in 2022 with 3 teams making Grand Finals. The Under 14 Girls team were premiers for 2022 and will look to continue building on from this success in future years.
In the boys, the club had teams make Grand Finals in both the Under 13s and Under 16s with both teams going down in close games on the day. Jake McConnell and Charlie Wilson both won EFNL League Best and Fairest awards capping off great personal seasons.
With large numbers of children across the board he Mitcham FC looks set to reap the rewards in coming seasons.