Article by Caitlin Arnold
There will be an unconventional start to the 2015 BLK AFL Sydney season with the Moorebank Magpies hosting the Randwick City Saints at Rosedale Oval this Saturday, two weeks before the official start of the season.
Originally scheduled to take place in Round Three on the ANZAC Day weekend, the game has been moved forward due to the high numbers of Defence Force personnel that make up the teams involved.
“The request from Moorebank to bring forward the games suited us as like them, we have a number of Defence guys, so Anzac Day always has a lot of competing issues for us,” explains Randwick City President Andrew Blakemore.
“We have been in pre-season since before Christmas so we have had plenty of time to get ready and the boys are very excited about getting on the park again.”
The Magpies fell agonisingly short of the 2014 finals despite being the in-form team at the back end of the season. Losing by just three points to eventual Division Two premiers, Sydney University in the final game of the season to miss out on the top five by just one game, the Magpies plan to make amends in 2015.
Standing in the way of Moorebank’s first victory of the new season are the Saints who will have a point to prove following their promotion to the Division Two competition after taking the 2014 Division Three premiership by 127 points over Penrith.
“The senior team were very focused on the premiership last year after being runners up in 2013, so getting promoted was one of our goals last year,” Blakemore said.
“We have added a few extra players from interstate who have moved to the area and picked up a couple of others with Premier Division and Division One experience, so I think we have built up a pretty solid squad from last year, even allowing for a few losses with guys transferring out of Sydney.”
Boosting their chances at making an instant impact on the Division Two competition, Randwick City recruited well over the off-season, including adding former Richmond Tiger, Marc Dragicevic as a player / coach to their senior team.
“Clearly the signing of Marc Dragicevic as Senior Coach has been a great outcome for the club.
“His footy experience and influence has flowed through and we have had really good numbers joining up off the back of this as seen with us adding a third men’s side in 2015.
“Having this extra depth helps push the senior side as success is a whole of club thing not just reliant on just one team.”
Seen as one of the most evenly competitive divisions of 2015, these Division Two teams will endeavour to get their season off to a strong start, knowing that despite their early beginning, every game this year is vital for a finals birth.
Also playing this weekend will be Moorebank and Randwick’s Division Four (12pm) sides.
The main game starts at 2:10pm at Rosedale Oval
Last Modified on 26/03/2015 20:54
