There are some new flavours in the 2023 Rookie Me Division One Team of the Year with our two newest teams filling plenty of spots.
The minor premiers West Coburg were the most prolific featuring six players starting on the field after going through the regular season undefeated.
Thomas Baravi and Dinny Cleary returned to their junior club from the top flight and had great seasons to start on ball, and will be joined by Rupertswood's Zak Saad who holds his spot in the engine room with Roxburgh Park's Jack Elliott starting in the ruck.
Burgers captain Dane Lucas has been selected at full back, with teammate Thomas Drake on the half back flank.
There is plenty of Deer Park presence on this team with Tim Quick starting at centre half back and silky left footer Bailey Morrish in the back pocket, while Hillside's Lachlan Pettigrove and Rupertswood's Shaun Stewart round out the back six.
The team of the year forward line would have any defence terrified with a star-studded line up in the front arc kicking 322 goals combined during the home-and-away season.
The venerable Dean Galea will start at full forward after kicking 52 goals from 14 games for Rupertswood, with ex-Bomber and Saint Jake Carlisle completing the spine in his first full season back at his junior club Craigieburn
West Coburg boasted the most potent forward half in the competition so it's no surprise that league leading goal kicker Omar Saad (75 goals) and Ibrahim Taha (60 goals) paved their way into the side.
Deer Park's Lachlan Smart (55 goals) and Hillside's Bailey Ryan (48 goals) round out for the forward six.
Victor Micallef is no stranger to EDFL honours and will start on the wing with St Albans teammate Matthew Gundry.
Starting on the pine is Roxburgh Park's Cooper McPharlane in his third consecutive Team of the Year appearance, Hillside's Mitchell Hearne, and Deer Park's Scott Greenhough and Todd Elton.
The coach and captain of the Team of the Year will be announced at the EDFL Presentation Evening on September 28.
SELECTION PROCESS & CRITERIA
All EDFL Teams of the Year are compiled based solely on the input of each club’s senior coach.
The 2023 Rookie Me Division One Team of the Year was to recognise the best players of the 2023 home-and-away season.
Other factors such as reputation or form in previous seasons were not to be taken into account.
The Coach and Captain of the Year are determined based on the feedback provided by the senior coaches.
