As the Western Region Football League players await the start of season 2007, Mark Murray looks at how the teams will fare in Division One
THE reigning premier could potentially field an even stronger line-up than the one that pinched the flag off Hoppers Crossing last year.
A three-peat is definitely on the cards for the WRFL powerhouse.
Coach John Ellis: “This is my fourth year at the club and this is the strongest list we have had in my time here. But that doesn’t always equate into premierships so we’ve still got to work pretty hard.”
HOPPERS Crossing should again feature prominently come finals time and will be keen to atone for last year’s disappointment. The two-point grand final loss to Port Melbourne Colts would be still stinging, but whether the team has a strong enough list to go one better remains to be seen.
Coach Michael Frost: “At the end of the day every footy club is trying to win a flag and we’re no different. It’s a new year and we have a new side and we’ll go with our younger guys.”
SUNSHINE has kept its departures to a minimum and boasted some great depth in 2006, which should hold it in good stead. It will need to find an avenue to goal if it’s to improve on its preliminary final finish of last year.
President Mark Grech: “We expect to improve a step further on last year and that is making a grand final. We’ll need improvement to come from within and a few guys who were involved in a very successful reserves side will get their chance at senior level.”
PARKSIDE is likely to slide out of the top five with the departure of a number of key players.
The team may lack the goal-kicking options to produce a winning score and will rely on its youth.
Coach Michael Shepperbottom: “This will definitely be a year of rebuilding and trying to bring the kids along. If we can win five or six games and keep our head above water we’ll be happy, but finals are probably not on the radar.”
SPOTSWOOD will definitely have finals on the radar again this season and should push for a top-three finish.
The addition of Theodore as playing coach will help the cause after he finished runner-up in the Victorian Football League reserves best and fairest award last season.
Ben Harris is another who will provide plenty of drive and is coming off a stellar season for Camperdown in the Hampden competition, where he won the league medal.
President Chris Murphy: “We have very high expectations this year and are definitely looking at a top-three finish. We have been able to add some very good ins and have kept our departures to a minimum, so we’re excited about the year ahead.”THE Saints will field a lot stronger team than the one that missed out on finals for the first time in more than five years in 2006.
The addition of Jesse Wells is a welcome one and he will be a handy player at either end of the ground. The team should push for the finals.
Football manager Richard Jimenez: “After missing out last year we’re very determined to push back up into the top five and make amends. We have picked up a couple and think we have a side that can play finals.”
ALBION has not played finals football for more than a decade but appears well-placed to buck the trend after some clever recruiting.
The team has added pace to its midfield and will be looking for a rise up the ladder under co-coaches Julian Shanks and Dean Kellaway.
Coach Julian Shanks: “We went out and recruited the players we need to boost up the midfield and injected some pace. They haven’t played finals for a long time and we definitely want to be a part of it this year and that’s our starting point.”
YARRAVILLE-Seddon struggled last year and will need more from its top liners to give the finals a nudge.
Steve Considine will need to have a big year across half forward while Lewis Barker is as fit as he’s ever been and looks primed for a solid season through the middle.Coach Shane Keogh: “Our aim is to definitely win more matches than we lose and try and earn some respect in the competition. We only won a handful of games last year so we’d be looking to rectify that and hopefully end up sitting somewhere in the five.”
THE team will find the going tough again this season with very little movement in terms of recruits.
But Altona has kept departures to a minimum and will hone some of its younger brigade which tasted senior footy last year can come on and have more of an impact.
President Chase Mathews: “We’re optimistic without being overly confident. We think we have a good enough side capable of challenging for a finals spot and hopefully we can generate a bit of excitement.”GLEN Orden will enter its first season in division one with an element of unknown. The team has an exciting bunch of youngsters who helped claim the Division Two title last year, but will need Kurt Tietze, Nathan Lovell and Travis Johns to all have dominant seasons if it is to have a considerable impact.
Momentum is a funny thing in footy, so Glen Orden will be looking to surprise a few clubs early on.
Senior manager Graeme Davies: “We think we have the right structures in place to make the transition well. We want to earn everyone’s respect pretty quickly and we’re confident we can do that.”
