HILLSIDE enjoyed its best year yet in 2017.
The Sharks lived up to their billing as an Essendon Ford Division 1 contender by finishing 11-5 and finishing second on the table, but were bundled out in straight sets come finals.
After a classic Preliminary Final against Airport West, Hillside was only a single point short of a maiden Division 1 Grand Final appearance.
It was a disappointing ending, but coach Steve Burns looks back on it as a positive experience for his young group.
“We wanted two finals and we got two finals,” Burns told essendondfl.com.au.
“We didn’t get a win, but the aim at the start of the year was to make finals and whatever happened from there wasn’t really of much concern to me.
“I just wanted to actually play finals and get them some experience, which we’ve done now.”
The next step is winning finals.
Having only lost three senior regulars from 2017, Hillside didn’t have to break the bank to attract new talent to Shark Park.
Mitch Church is the headline signing having already established a strong reputation within the division at Westmeadows, but he’s no lock to line-up come Good Friday at home to Taylors Lakes.
Should his troublesome knee hold up, the athletic 27-year-old forward will give Hillside a new dynamic duo up forward alongside youngster Brandon Coletta, who snagged 51 goals in 2017.
Ruckman Rusaite Komaitai, Hadfield premiership playing coach Raaf Rachrache and returning 2013 premiership player Ed Schellander will also prove handy in complementing Hillside’s developing younger brigade.
“We’ve got a really young group and consistency’s hard to get out of a young group,” Burns said.
“I actually think we’ve done fairly well over the last couple of years in that we’ve strung together a heap of wins together in a row.
“There’s going to be dips and troths in your form and things happen, but I’m hoping we’ve arrested that with the guys we’ve recruited.
“The other guys are a year older and a bit more wiser and a bit more experienced, so I’d be hoping for a bit more consistency, but it’s a very hard comp to be very consistent in.”
Burns understands just how even Division 1 looks to be, at least on paper, heading into Season 2018.
Because of that, he won’t be drawn into declaring another finals appearance as the bare minimum.
“There’s nine sides in the competition that are all expected to play finals,” he said.
“I’ll be very disappointed if we don’t make it, but there’s no way I’ll be strutting around like we’re certain finalists, because that’s just not the case.”
Key Ins: Mitch Church (forward, Westmeadows), Ed Schellander (utility, Rosebud), Raaf Rachrache (midfielder/defender, South Morang), Sam Stephens (midfielder, Albion), Rusaite Komaitai (ruckman, Deer Park) & Aiden Cassar (forward, Keilor Park)
Keys Outs: Rocky Ferraro (Northern Saints), James Micallef (Airport West via Melton Centrals), & Troy Stone (retired)
First Month: Taylors Lakes (home), Craigieburn (away), Oak Park (away) & Westmeadows (home)
