Can anyone stop the Darebin juggernaut in 2015? That is the big question on the eve of Round 1 of the Victorian Women’s Premier Division season.
Shooting for their third straight flag, the Falcons have managed to hold on to the majority of their star-studded list and remain clear favourites in 2015.
But standing in their way are five determined clubs with rising talent stocks of their own, and an eye for bringing down the giant.
First up at the plate is Diamond Creek who has the unenviable task of tackling the Falcons in Round 1 of the Premier Division this Sunday.
But it’s an opportunity that excites new Creekers’ coach Brad Lederman.
Lederman, who arrives in the VWFL after a stint as an assistant with the Oakleigh Chargers in the TAC Cup, said he was looking forward to seeing the benchmark of the competition.
“I haven’t seen too much of Darebin, this obviously being my first year in the competition, but I’m looking forward to seeing how we stack up against them and putting the game plan we’ve been working on into action,” he said.
“Our biggest aim this season is to improve our depth and we will be trying to give as many girls as possible an opportunity to play senior football and get some exposure at the level.”
Despite a host of new faces at Diamond Creek, a lot will again rest on the shoulders of Steph Chiocci with Leaderman planning on using the ace midfielder in a variety of roles this season.
“I know Steph has been tagged heavily in recent years so we will look to use her in different positions and release her a little bit.”
Ruckman Tianna Ernst will also be pivotal after a strong off-season that included an impressive performance in the Draft Selection Match.
Despite the confidence that comes with a strong pre-season, Darebin looms as an incredibly tough prospect for Diamond Creek this weekend.
A squad bursting at the seams with talent and depth has been bolstered by the addition of handful of youngsters, including Lauren Datson and Genevieve Lawson-Tavan who have both impressed over summer.
Recruits Melissa Bibby (Melbourne Uni) and Emma Oliver (Eastern Devils) will also play a part in the premiership defence at some stage.
But new faces aside it is the Falcons’ top echelon that remains the club’s biggest strength.
In Daisy Pearce, Elise O’Dea, Jess Dal Pos, Aasta O’Conner, Katie Brennan, Mel Hickey and a handful of others, the Eagles have more A-graders than any other team and should register a first up win.
Melbourne Uni v Eastern Devils
Another team tipped to threaten in 2015 is the rejuvenated Melbourne Uni with new coach Andrew Jago at the helm.
Jago, the former head coach at the Calder Cannons, will bring a development first attitude aimed at improving the Mugars’ style of play and ensuring individuals maximise their potential.
The loss of Lauren Sparks and Alicia Eva, who will miss the entire season while travelling overseas, will be a big blow to their title hopes but the addition of a few quality players should keep Jago’s side at the pointy end of the ladder.
Already laden with talent in the form of Kaitlyn Ashmore, Elle Blackburn and Emma Kearney, Uni has added Kirby Bentley from WA and Nicole Hildebrand, a dangerous left footer from Redan, to their list.
Melbourne Uni kicks off its 2015 campaign against the Eastern Devils on Sunday, with Jago keen to see his troops use their pace and take the game on.
“This weekend it isn’t so much about winning it’s about seeing that the structures and disciplines we’ve been speaking about are implemented and our ball movement and running patters are heading to where they need to be,” he said.
“Know your role, accept your role, and play your role, it’s a simple philosophy and we hope it will hold us in good stead for the season.”
Their opposition this weekend, the Eastern Devils, will take to the field as a very different unit to the one that battled a long injury list in 2014.
The arrival of two Canadians in in Aimee Legault – back for a second stint at the Devils – and Leah Stafford increase the foreign allegiance to three with Kendra Heil (also from Canada) having been a joint winner of the Devils’ best and fairest last season.
With a new coach in Brendan Major on board and a handful of other recruits, along with a couple of girls returning from injury, the feeling at the Devils has been nothing but positive.
The loss of champion ruckman Lou Wotton will no doubt hurt, with her talents on and off the field to be sorely missed, but in Meg Hutchins and Sarah D’Arcy, the Devils still have two genuine match-winners.
St Albans v St Kilda Sharks
St Albans remain one of the great unknowns of the premier division with a host of new players on board for the 2015 season.
Coach Debbie Lee said the feeling around the club was fantastic after a great summer and she was excited by the number of players who will play senior football for the first time.
“We’ve got close to 12 girls who will make their premier division debut and probably about 25 new players to the club,” Lee said.
“We have a good balanced team with very few superstars but a lot of talented girls.”
Lee said the club had in place a three year plan that would hopefully cement its long term future.
Captain Bree White (Melbourne) looms as the Spurs’ most dangerous player with Lee paying tribute to her fitness and commitment to the club.
“She’s hard-running on-baller with a great fitness base and someone who is a great example to the other girls.
Rachel Gullo and youngster Alex Quigley are other names to watch for in the season opener against the St Kilda Sharks on Sunday.
The Sharks face some similar challenges to the Spurs with an influx of Youth Girls giving the team a whole new look in 2015.
Coach Lloyd Balshaw said the plan was to give the girls every opportunity to play senior football and start to build a core group that would carry them to bigger and better things in years to come.
Rising stars Kaitlyn Balshaw, Brittney Bonnici and Tilly Lucas-Rodd are set to impress whileexperienced campaigners Phoebe McWilliams, Sarah Chapman will carry a heavy load.
The Sharks will also rely heavily on spearhead Moana Hope, who bagged 87 goals last year, and is one of the best one-on-one players in the competition.
Last Modified on 10/04/2015 15:37