By David Nagel
The menacing and imposing figure of former Brisbane champion Jonathan Brown looms large on the horizon for the South East Football Netball League as it looks to extend its unbeaten run in the AFL Victoria Community Championships.
Brown will coach the Hampden League into battle against the Demons at Casey Fields on Saturday 13 May, his presence attracting a strong commitment from players from Portland to Port Fairy – from Warrnambool to Camperdown.
SEFNL coach Michael ‘Jock’ Holland, preparing his fifth consecutive interleague campaign, said the stakes had grown higher with Brown as the enemy.
“I know a lot of their guys have committed this year, with Browny on board, but that’s great for us, it gives us the opportunity to take on one of the best leagues in the state at full strength,” Holland said.
“As a coaching staff we’ve discussed it and we’re in no doubt that this is definitely the biggest challenge we have confronted in the last five years. I’ve been talking it up for years, that I firmly believe we have the goods to be one of the top five leagues in the state and our best will be good enough.
“As a coaching staff, we’re not shying away from the challenge, we just need a strong commitment from the players and I think this could be a pretty special interleague campaign.”
Holland, an interleague star during his playing days at Pakenham, has led the SEFNL brilliantly over the last four years, taking the scalps of Wimmera, Bellarine, Sunraysia and Murray after Matt Shinners had steered the first ship to port against Nepean.
“We’re getting to the stage now where we are being rewarded for the efforts put in by a lot people,” Holland said.
“Collo (Michael Collins) and Holty (Marc Holt) have been the faces of interleague football for years but blokes like Troy McDermott, Brandon Osborne, Micky Harold, they’re coming up for the fifth campaigns and have been terrific contributors over the journey.
“I just think for those blokes it would be terrific if their peers recognised their commitment, jumped on board, and we come together as one for this challenge.”
A large squad will train together for the first time at Casey Fields on Wednesday night, 26 April.
Fresh faces from other leagues include Beaconsfield’s Corey Walker, Berwick’s James Magner and Bryce Rutherford, Doveton’s Alwyn Davey, Hampton Park youngsters Hayden Brough and CJ Layfield, Narre Warren’s Luke Cody and Tooradin pair Luke McKenna and Aisakie O’hAilpin.
Doveton’s Taylor Joyce and Narre Warren siblings Nick and Stewie Scanlon return to the SEFNL after stints in the Eastern and Southern Football Leagues respectively.
Youngsters include Beaconsfield half back Jake Bowd, and Peter Bastin, Hayden Brough, CJ Layfield and Harrison Paul from Hampton Park.
Holland said the prospect of having ruckman Scott Meyer, Russell Gabriel and O’hAilpin all playing on the same side was mouth-watering indeed.
“They all bring something completely different to the table,” he said.
“Russ is your old fashioned powerhouse ruckman, O’hAilpin is athletic and tough and strong in the clinches and Scotty could play anywhere on the park he’s that versatile.”
Holland was keen to get the local football community on board.
“The interleague concept is special, it’s special footy played by the best players in country Victoria and will be the best footy the supporters will see all year,” he said.
“I promise there will be at least one or two kids who get selected and they’ll thrive on the big stage, it’s been that way for years. We’ll select the boys who want to play, we’ve done it that way in the past and that way we get a consistent performance, year in, year out.”
Holland added Officer’s Jesse Longmuir to the squad after an eye-catching performance against Pakenham on Saturday.
The first bounce down for the 2017 AFL Victoria Community Championship match between South East FNL and Hampden FNL will take place at 1pm on Saturday 13 May.
SEFNL SQUAD
BEACONSFIELD – Daniel Battaglin, Jake Bowd, Troy McDermott, Scott Meyer, Corey Walker.
BERWICK – Madi Andrews, Tim Gunn, Michael Harold, Lucas Jellyman-Turner, Michael Johnson, Ben Kearns, James Magner, Michael Riseley, Bryce Rutherford, Luke Sheppard, Ash Smith.
CRANBOURNE – Luke Bee-Hugo, Aaron Bower, Dylan Cavalot, Mat Fletcher, Shaun Marusic, Brandon Osbourne, Glenn Osbourne, Zak Roscoe.
DOVETON – Nicholas Battle, Jarrad Boumann, Aaron Davey, Alwyn Davey, Russell Gabriel, Taylor Joyce, Sam Raru.
HAMPTON PARK – Peter Bastin, Hayden Brough, C J Layfield, Harrison Paul.
NARRE WARREN – Benjamin Carter, Luke Cody, Trent Cody, Michael Collins, Jordyn Flannery, Dylan Quirk, Jake Richardson, Nick Scanlon, Stewart Scanlon, Jack Soroczynski, Josh Tonna.
OFFICER – Dylan Chapman, Matthew Clarke, Jesse Longmuir.
PAKENHAM – Sam Blackwood, Stephen Morey, Steve O’Bryan, Jake Smith.
TOORADIN-DALMORE – Andrew Dean, Nick Lang, Luke McKenna, Josh Muling, Aisakie O’hAilpin, Michael Wallace.
