With the 2023 season just around the corner, EDFL Media will be previewing each club heading into Round One. Next, we chat to Maribyrnong Park coach Brad Swain who provides some insights on their 2023 campaign.
2022: 6th (8W, 10L, 83.63%)
Coach: Brad Swain (third season)
PRE-SEASON FOCUS
"Our players have been fantastic this summer. We throw a lot at them from a development perspective and they respond really well. We are particularly proud of the learning environment we have created and we work hard to sustain that everyday.
"We want to be harder to play against so we’ve focussed on developing the weapons that will help us achieve that. The players are running at a particularly high level this pre-season and we’ve really grown our capacity in the contest, our team defence, and to be able to consistently hit the scoreboard.
"In 2022 we handed the ball back to the opposition too often so we’ve addressed that, and at times we struggled to orchestrate enough scores from our small forwards so we’ve made that a particular focus in terms of recruiting, structure, and ball movement."
LIST SHAPE
"We had a plethora of talls last year but with Chris Prowse, Nick Prowse, and Panyoti Kokkinakis deciding to retire or play at a lower level, in addition to Josh Cripps returning to Perth, we knew we had to bring a ruck and power forward in. We must be the only club in Australia that has lost a pair of 200cm brothers in the same off season and gained a new pairing! So we’re stoked to have Joe and Tom Stapleton join us from Canberra and John Remouliotis fits our power forward need really nicely.
"Jack Hammerling (Riddell), Lucas Edmonds (St Bernards), and Kyle Harman (Burnie Dockers) will go a long way to making us more dangerous around goal.
"We want to expose our players to a higher level of training and game play, so to this year have Ethan Jackson (Northern Bullants), Lachie Swaney (Carlton), John Remouliotis (Northern Bullants), Tom Stapleton (Northern Bullants) join home grown products Matthew Gaul (Williamstown), Jordan Davey (Williamstown), and Brandon Ryan (Northern Bullants) on VFL lists is really pleasing."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
"I’m expecting big things this season from Scott Clarke, Darcy Griffin, Jack Kaygisiz, Alex Barba, Josh Cole, and Daniel Oliver just to name a few but we expect the same high standards of our leaders, VFL players, and young players, so I’m confident in all our players having a big impact in season 2023. If we get a chance to play Jordan Croft (Calder Cannons) at all, expect him to stand on oppo defenders' shoulders!"
2023 OUTLOOK
"We aspire to be the best defensive team in the competition but we also want to be really hard to match up on in the contest and be consistent in offence. When we achieve that, we will be there when the whips are cracking. "
LODGED TRANSFERS
In: Kyle Harman (Burnie Dockers), Joseph Stapleton (York), Lachlan Swaney (Uni Blues), Edenn Bradford (Sydney University), Ethan Jackson (Sunshine), Cruise Petruccelli (St Bernards), Lucas Edmonds (St Bernards), Angus Hug (St Bernards), Jack Hammerling (Riddell), O'Neill Moncrief (Morningside) & Jamaica Ilsley (Fitzroy).
Out: Nicholas Prowse (Moe), Chris Prowse (Moe), Jakob O'Neill (Sunshine), Andrew Matheas (Craigieburn), Josh Cripps (East Fremantle), Daniel Restuccia (St Bernards), Anton Galt (St Bernards), Benjamin Dillon (Parkside), James Akhurst (PEGS), Ethan Baker (Werribee Districts), Thomas Baravi (West Coburg), Jonah Horo (West Coburg), Austin Harris (East Keilor), Jordan Middleton (Craigieburn), Marcus White (Palm Beach Currumbin), Lachlan Barr (Keilor), Stanley Skapetis (Therry Penola), Tyler Dixon (Greensborough), James Veigent (Fitzroy), Caleb Harward (Fitzroy), Oliver Sanders (Norwood), Justin George (Reservoir) & Sebastian Greene (Maldon)
EDFL MEDIA SAYS
Maribyrnong Park are confident they've plugged the gaps off-season movements created, but they'll be tested straight away facing four of the top five from 2022 in the first five rounds. Hovering around the middle of the pack last season, they'll still need to cover some ground to be playing finals footy, but after knocking off Pascoe Vale, coming within a couple of goals of Aberfeldie, and losing two games by less than seven points, they'll be taking some confidence into 2023. Losing the Prowse brothers is a big loss for the Lions, especially having to find a way to replace the 28 goals Nick scored, but adding John Remouliotis and some damaging young small forwards as Swain outlined is a strong step in the right direction to not only cover, but extend that loss.
2023 FIXTURE
