By Tania Martin
AS the centre bounce goes up for the 2006 Yarra Valley Mountain District Football League, The Mail has gone inside the pack to find out the Hills’ football clubs’ recruiting plans and goals for the season.
@BT Sport Sub Mail:Belgrave Football Club
President Maurie Bilston said the club had recruited 12 new players from around the area and several players from last year’s under 18s side.
Bilston said the club was looking forward to making it into the top five this year.
@BT Sport Sub Mail:Monbulk Football Club
The club is aiming for a top-three finish this year, with a couple of players who missed much of last season through injury back and ready for action.
Club president Case Broekhof said the club would have a similar look to last year, having picked up just a couple of new recruits.
“We will be back with effectively the same side as last year, and we’ll be very competitive,” he said.
@BT Sport Sub Mail:South Belgrave Football Club
President Ian Bacons said the club was always looking for new players, but this year had drawn the short straw in recruitment as several players had gone onto other clubs and higher leagues.
However, he said the club had recruited some strong young players including Robert Cockerell and Aaron Moss.
Bacons said this would be a transitional year for the club and hoped to improve the confidence and the skills of the players and aim for the finals.
@BT Sport Sub Mail:Upwey/Tecoma Football Club
The club is hoping to make the finals again this season, as it hasn’t missed one in 22 years.
President Andrew Peterson said the club had new recruits this year including several who had returned to the club after playing elsewhere.
He said the club also had terrific up and coming young players in the senior side this year.
Peterson said last year the senior side had a terrible run with injuries and he was hoping this year would be better season.
@BT Sport Sub Mail:Olinda-Ferny Creek Football Club
Stepping up into division one, Olinda-Ferny Creek Football Club will be feeling its way this season after winning the division two premiership last year.
Club manager Noel White said the club was happy with the player list, despite a couple of players retiring. He said the club had recruited a new ruckman, Jarrod McGowan, 22, and four locals.
White said although the team was probably a couple of years away from being at the top of the list, it was hoping to book a berth in the bottom half of the finals this year.
@BT Sport Sub Mail:Silvan Football Club
The club is looking at picking up some local players and running some of its young players out of the pack after it lost a chance to sign retired Australian Football League player Mark Mercuri.
Silvan general manager Charlie Caputo said it was a bit of a “long shot” trying to get Mercuri to the club.
He said through several contacts the club was able to entice Mercuri to Silvan for a few training.
Caputo said the travel might have been a bit too far for Mercuri, who chose Airport West, a team closer to home.
He said the Silvan Football Club was looking forward to another strong season coming off the back of a premiership win in 2004 and as last year’s runner-up.
