16 DAYS TO GO | EFL Media will be previewing each club ahead of the 2018 season with the #InFocus2018 series, all thanks to Yarra Valley Water & Choose Tap.
By: Daniel Cencic
Twitter: @DC_EFL
Wantirna South finds itself in unfamiliar territory in the lead up to 2018.
The Devils finished sixth in 2017, after an inconsistent start to the season saw the club win six of its last eight matches to finish just outside the final four.
With long-serving, universally-respected premiership coach Matt Clark no longer at the helm, the changing of the guard has seen the club reset under new coach Jess Sinclair, according to Wantirna South football director Rick Maloney.
“Not many blokes can coach the same footy club for seven years and it shows just how good a job he did, but with that the new voice, it’s probably a lot newer for us than it is for other clubs having had the same coach for so long,” Maloney said.
“It’s a clean slate and everyone’s reset and ready to go again.”
Appointed last September, Sinclair played 192 games across Fremantle and North Melbourne from 1997-2008.
The former dashing half-back joins the Devils from VAFA club St. Kevin’s, where he served as an assistant under former Kangaroos teammate Shannon Grant.
Sinclair has slotted into Walker Reserve seamlessly.
“He (Jess) has been great, he couldn’t have fitted in any better,” Maloney said.
“A new voice, an all-new game-plan – he’s been awesome.
“Coming from St Kevin’s and having spent a bit of time with Shannon Grant, it’s an elite standard of footy, plus with his AFL background he’s been great.”
Headlining the recruits at the Devils is 2015 Chandler medallist, Luke Williams, who joins the club from Knox. Former Waverley Blues coach Ben Carboni along with ex-Waverley Blues skipper Will Edwards will also don the green and white this season.
Meanwhile, 2016 Balwyn premiership forward Danny Hughes signed on at the Devils last week.
Hughes played 82 games for Sandringham, Casey, Box Hill and Port Melbourne in the VFL, also spending a year with Subiaco in the WAFL.
He also played two games for Melbourne in 2010, and won South Croydon’s best and fairest in 2014.
Maloney has been thrilled with the club’s new additions.
“They’ve been super,” he said.
“’Carbs’ (Ben Carboni) and ‘Willo’ (Luke Williams) have been there since day-dot.
“’Carbs’ has coached before and the leadership they’ve brought in, it’s just been super – it’s probably an area we lacked in too.
“We’ve got a pretty close-knit tight bunch but just having those couple of older heads with loud voices – it’s invaluable.
“Not just footy pedigree, but they fit in as blokes too which is probably the most important thing.”
The changing of the guard at the top hasn’t been the only significant shift at Wantirna South, with club champions Daniel Beddome and Brad Hutchinson calling time on their careers at the end of last season.
Ruckman Glenn Manson (pictured below) has also hung up the boots, while premiership defender Jackson Freeman has transferred to Donvale and inside midfielder Matt Buzinskas has returned to his spiritual football home, Boronia.
“You always want your great players to play forever, but time gets everyone,” Maloney said.
“They (Beddome and Hutchinson) were just absolute champions for the club for a long time (but) it opens up some spots for some young guys.”
Maloney is confident Williams, Carboni and Edwards can more than cover for the loss of Buzinskas.
Meanwhile, the likes of Lincoln Wong, Luke Grima, Dailen Carney and Noah Jackson headline a number of young guns looking to break into the Devils’ best 22.
“Lincoln Wong had a great year last year and he’s looking even better this year,” Maloney said.
Maloney is confident the Devils have the list to compete at the business end of the season.
“We’re aiming to play finals but it’s such an even comp that if you get a few injuries or you get ahead of yourself, especially with three teams going down, you could be fighting off relegation,” he said.
“It sounds like a bit of a cliché, but we just want to be thereabouts when the whips are cracking.
“We thought we recruited pretty well last year and we didn’t make the finals, coming off a grand final in 2016.
“We reckon we’ve got a pretty strong list to be around at the pointy end of the season.”
Wantirna South travels to Domeney Reserve to play Park Orchards in its opening round clash on Saturday, April 7.
