With the 2023 season just around the corner, EDFL Media will be previewing each club heading into Round One. Next, we chat to new Westmeadows coach Ash Flavel who provides some insights on their 2023 campaign.
2022: 4th (11W, 7L, 125.94%)
Coach: Ash Flavel (first season, replacing Mo Kaakour)
PRE-SEASON FOCUS
"Our biggest focus was to retain our young boys coming through the junior system and bringing the younger boys through which creates opportunities for them in a year that we've lost a lot of experience due to playing premier football or them moving on to another competition. So it's about playing these younger boys and bringing them into the senior side.
"And the most important was getting them really fit over the summer to able to be in games longer and get them through the season with hopefully not many injuries, as our depth will test us once we start to get a few injuries.
"When you lose 16 out of your first semi final side from last year, it really hurts you. The one thing that I wanted to bring into the club was good culture, that was something we lacked last year within the playing group. All it does it just gives these kids more game time and it has shown already in our three practice matches."
LIST SHAPE
"I think the club has done really well, to where we have come from six months ago. As I said before losing 16 blokes from the senior first semi final is always going to hurt you, but I think we have recruited really well, despite losing all these players.
"We have got our spine in really good shape and we have just built around that with plenty of leg speed to complement our talls.
"I’m really happy with the list we have now, we have recruited really well, I could have done with a bit more depth in the midfield, but the club is being very careful now in how we spend our money on players. Our spine is really healthy, which I'm very pleased with, I think we will have one of the best CHF / CHB & RUCK combos in the division.
"So we just need to build around these blokes and our younger brigade will only get better each week."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
"There are quite a few to look out for this year, I know not many clubs would be rating us with all of our departures, but write us off at your own peril.
"Our leaders in Ryan Capron, Jarrod Petersen, and Aaron Evans are all going to be a good watch.
"Our young guns to look out for would be Jake Hatton, Jordan Kosteas, Daniel Spencer, Riley Hearne, Braydon Sudaro, Michael Portelli, Michael Mayne, Nathan Sparks, and Kieran Gallagher (Calder Cannons) who have had all big pre-seasons and I cannot wait to see them grow this year. I can name so many more that I’m excited about.
"With the senior older heads to look out for and recruits, Rex Hickman (playing assistant), Shaun Knott, Finbar Delbridge, Ethan Councillor, James Taglieri, James Duell, and Simon Collis returns to the club."
2023 OUTLOOK
"To get more gametime into the younger boys is something we're aspiring to, and to build a great culture on and off the field. Just to get the boys really enjoying their footy and wanting to get better.
"To say how far we can go this year, who knows where this young group can take us, if we bring the intensity to each game and sustain it long enough, I’m sure will be in a lot more games than not
"We're aiming to keep getting better as a playing group and as a club."
LODGED TRANSFERS
In: Finbar Delbridge (Newcastle City), Kent Beaumont (Wallan), James Duell (Broadford), Aaron Tomkinson (Glenroy), Isaac Young (East Malvern), Dayne Tannenberg (Coburg Districts), Michael Mayne (Strathmore), Ethan Councillor (South Hedland Swans), Rex Hickman (Bacchus Marsh), James Taglieri (Eltham) & Shaun Knott (Eaglehawk).
Out: Mohammed Yassine (West Preston-Lakeside), Mohammed Ayache (West Coburg), Omar Saad (West Coburg), Benjamin Drummond (West Coburg), Chris Rallis (Tullamarine), Austin Warden (Tullamarine), Patrick Taylor (Tullamarine), Mitchell Cook (Tullamarine), Bill Samie (Thomastown), Aaron Vendramini (Taylors Lakes), Ahmed Hamdan (Roxburgh Park), Jayden Ranno (Pascoe Vale), Dale Potter (Oak Park), Corey Field (Oak Park), Jacob Houston (Lalor), Hunter Petch (Keilor Park), Louis Alexopoulos (Keilor Park), Nathan Ranno (Hillside), Jason Kenneth (Greenvale), Daniel Gallagher (Glenroy), Cody Wight (Glenroy), Thomas Paterson (Fitzroy Stars), Daniel O'Kearney (Epping), Bradley Hollow (Epping), Clayton Campbell (Epping), Jordan Hollow (Epping), Matthew Harrington (Epping), Harley Gleeson (Epping), Kane Jarram (Epping), Francis Keenan (Epping), Mitch Church (East Sunbury), Kane North (East Sunbury), Marwan Abdul-Wahad (East Keilor), George Nabbout (East Keilor), Joshua Flower (Diggers Rest), Ahmed Abdul-Wahed (Coburg Districts), Tyrone Foggiato (Albanvale) & David Ranno (Albanvale).
EDFL MEDIA SAYS
It was a summer to forget down at Willowbrook Reserve with an array of key departures following a fourth-placed finish in 2022. They were knocked out in the first week by eventual grand finalists West Coburg and couldn't quite take any scalps of a finals side, but it goes without saying that it'll be a new look Westmeadows side running out in 2023. New senior coach Ash Flavel is no stranger to Westy, being part of the coaching group since 2021, and is rather bullish on how his young side will go in 2023. We'll get a good look on how they'll go with an expected tough first month or so of footy.
2023 FIXTURE
