Club
Pennant Hills
Key players
It could be a changing of the guard for the Demons but still the old heads are key. Matt Carey has had another great pre-season and he will be looked to for his long-raking left foot potentially more so across half-forward (went from 37 to 17 goals last year). Aaron Crisfield could be a plus for the Demons. Hardly able to string any games together due to injury, he is class and tough as nails in the midfield. Ranga Ediriwickrama has flirted with retirement yet again and is a very important cog in the Demons outfit. James Dunn, after a NEAFL pre-season will be important on the outside with his pace.
Star on the Rise
There is a few you could throw in this boat but Thomas Edmonds will need to take the next step this year. A funny man off the paddock, it is no laughing matter this year as the Demons look to replace Phelan Medallist, Alex Goodall and Matt Thomas in the middle. Edmonds has played 42 games of Premier Division and has been close to breaking out in some games. Another pre-season should have the 20-year old cherry ripe for a good year. Nick Hey will play plenty of TAC Cup this year so how much the Demons see of him is questionable, but was unlucky not to be in the Grand Final side after an impressive Preliminary Final and will be valuable when available.
Strengths
They have some real X-factor and attacking impetus through the likes of Carey, Sam Zikman, Ranga Ediriwickrama and leading goalkicker, Stephen Wray. Averaged 98 points for and 59 points against last year- good numbers by any measure. The key players, as well as the under-rated Damian Dell-Aquila boast experience. There are some high quality juniors coming through.
Weaknesses
In a perfect world, they would have another key forward. This was the biggest concern for them last year, in particular against quality defenders. Another concern is the lack of defensive height with Lloyd Shepherd’s departure. They were good but not good enough when it counted- they lost to Manly-Warringah on four occasions last year to show there is still a bit to go, which will be tough to counter given they have lost their best two players.
Season defining month
It’s a tough start for the Demons and they need to be breathing fire early to prove the doubters wrong. They kick off against St George at home, before trips to Manly-Warringah and Western Suburbs, before hosting heavyweights East Coast. They could easily be 0-4 if they don’t bring their A-game.
Notable Transfers
Goodall goes to Albury, Shepherd heads overseas, Matt Thomas is likely to miss the season with a shoulder reconstruction and young gun, Brad Watson is off to Adelaide University. Not to mention how much they see of their leading goal kicker last year in Stephen Wray who has made the Sydney University NEAFL Primary list... Ouch! For that, they cover their losses with a host of youngsters who are likely to play Under 19s and Michael Talbot who has spent time with Old Brighton Grammarians (VAFA) and Labrador (NEAFL- QLD), and formerly played with the club.
Danny Says
4th
The biggest sliders of any side in the top five but it shouldn’t be enough to dislodge them from another finals appearance. After two successive Grand Final losses to Manly-Warringah it will be interesting to see whether they come out guns blazing or if the mental demons take hold. There are big names missing but with change comes opportunity for some of the youngsters.
Last Modified on 07/04/2015 09:17
