LOOKING FORWARD – SEVILLE

The first ever AFL Outer East season is creeping ever closer and as anticipation builds we’ll be taking a closer look at each and every club in our newly formed home.

It’s time to get up and go again for the Seville Football Netball Club after a mixed final day of the Division Two season saw the club take home two premierships and two grand final defeats.

Seville fielded just three netball sides in 2019, but all sides were successful, finishing well entrenched in the top five of the Division Two ladders, with an 11-3 record in the A Grade, a 16-0 record in the B and 14-2 record in C.

With A Grade going down to Kinglake by 17 goals in the preliminary final the Blues were left pinning their netball premiership hopes on their B and C Grade sides. Seville’s C Grade side went down to Yea by six goals in their decider, before the Blues managed to square the ledger with a convincing 14 goal victory over the Tigers in the B Grade finale.

The Blues had three players feature in the Division Two Team of the Year with Mandy Bell, Paige Stanley and Stephanie McNay earning selection. McNay also collected the Division Two Best and Fairest.

The focus for the Blues in 2019 will no doubt be to field four sides throughout the season, as well as building upon an impressive 2019 which still left a little to be desired. 

It was a similar story for the Footballers, as the Blues took home the reserves premiership despite finishing fifth on the ladder – defeating Gembrook – Cockatoo in the final. 

However it was the performance of the clubs senior side that will leave a sour taste in the mouth of supporters as the Blues went down to Yarra Junction by 96 points to lose the Division Two Grand Final. 

But the message from Senior coach Kane Shore is clear – it is time go again.

“There’s no point being the best team all year if you’re going to let yourself down during finals and Yarra Junction were the best team when it mattered,”

“The boys are all very hungry though and it’s just a matter of using that hunger the right way.”

The Blues are happy with their list retention from 2018 and are pleased with their off-season recruiting having gained the pace and depth they had craved.

The Blues have added Jack Coshutt (Warburton Millgrove), Dan Iaucone (Healesville), Scott Lindsay (North Ringwood), Max Diko (Coldstream), powerful forward Paddy Ratray (Nagambie) and the ‘electric’ Cory Glass (NGFL).

Shore also expects to see more of Ex-AFL big man Josh Fraser.

They did have to say goodbyes to hard nosed midfielder Gareth Fraser and noted goal kicker Joshua Neal to Eastern Football League Division One outfit Lilydale, but Shore holds no grudges.

“Those two boys are heading off to play better footy – you can’t be mad at them for that,”

“Maintaining the list was a priority – obviously winning the twos flag and finishing on top of the ladder in the ones means it was going okay,”

“We’ve lost a couple, but we’ve well and truly managed to cover what we had.”

Shore will be using that same attitude when it comes to his game style, with the Blues continuing to work on having a strong defensive game as well as a strong contested ball focus.

“If you work hard around the footy and put in 100% effort everything seems to fall your way – you’ve just got to win that hard ball.”

Shore remains aware that he cannot solely focus on what his own club is doing and keeps a close eye on the rest of the competition – of which he’s noticed a couple of bolters from outside last seasons top five.

“Yarra Glen have improved after last season adding some much needed height,”

“Powelltown and Kinglake have gone hard as well – but it is one of those things you can’t control – you just have to face what’s put in front of you.”

Seville will travel to Yea to launch their 2019 ATC Traffic Division Two season.