The top four sides of the Strathmore Community Bank Premier Division season yet again heavily dominate the 2023 Team of the Year.
17 selections from this year's finalists make the 22, with Airport West, Maribyrnong Park, Essendon Doutta Stars, Greenvale, and Aberfeldie also represented within the team.
Airport West captain Ned Gentile was rewarded for a terrific season leading his Eagles in their successful campaign to remain in the top flight and starts in the ruck rover position.
He is alongside Corey Ellis who enjoyed his first full season with the Blues since returning in 2022.
Star East Keilor recruit Matthew Dennis will start in the ruck with Keilor's Nick O'Kearney rounding out the stacked engine room.
Lachlan Stredwick (Pascoe Vale), Brad Xavier (Keilor), and Matthew Stillman (Pascoe Vale) all retain their positions in the back six with Stredwick assuming the full back role this time around.
The three best defensive sides in the competition are then represented in the defensive half with Strathmore skipper Xavier Allison and intercept master Liam Cavanagh who returned after missing the 2022 season.
Brandon Coletta is the second representative for East Keilor and rounds out the back six in his third season at Overland Reserve.
The top five leading goal kickers are represented in the forward 50 with league leader Tom Condon starting in the forward pocket after booting 54 majors during the home-and-away season.
Keilor's Matthew Clark (48 goals) will again start at centre half forward after finishing the year as the leading goal scorer of a Blues outfit that averaged over 130 points per game.
Blues teammate Kane Barbuto lines up alongside him on the half forward flank after experiencing a role change following a restricted 2022, kicking 40 goals in a season for the first time in 13 years.
Pascoe Vale's Matthew Watson (39 goals) also played different roles at times this year but starts at full forward after another damaging year in front of goals and is joined in the forward line by teammate Joshua Iacobaccio who was impressive in his first season with the Panthers.
Giacomo Thomas (Essendon Doutta Stars) rounds out the forward six after kicking at least one goal in 17 of his 18 games played, ending 2023 with 41 goals in a side ranked tenth in offense.
Grand Finalists Keilor and Strathmore will patrol the wings with Kyle O'Connor and Brock Egglestone starting for the Blues and Mores respectively.
Strathmore's Andrew Vavra will start on the interchange, with Nicholas Maric (Greenvale), Scott Clarke (Maribyrnong Park), and Joshua Kemp (Aberfeldie), the lone representatives for their respective teams also riding the pine.
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 Strathmore Community Bank Premier Division 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 were also determined based on the feedback provided by the senior coaches.
