By Jonty Ralphsmith
After tasting finals action for the first time in 20 years last season, a youth-driven Devon Meadows will be looking to build on the success of 2022.
Ex-AFL players Paddy Ryder, Dean Kent and Josiah Kyle have captured the attention of Mornington Peninsula Football Netball League (MPFNL) rivals in the lead-up to this season.
Ryder will split his time between the midfield and forward-line for Devon Meadows this season, while Kyle will add x-factor up forward.
Kent, meanwhile, voted co-captain in his first season at the club, will provide star-power in the midfield and no doubt receive attention, taking the pressure off teammates including well-regarded co-captain Nick Battle.
“We have had the likes of Dean Kent and Paddy Ryder come into the club and they’ve given an insight into some of the things that happen at AFL level, so we think we’re at a very good spot for our structures and game plans to stand up this year,” Panthers coach Ryan Hendy said.
“It’ll be modelled on contested footy – that’s where most games are won more than not – obviously inside structures but local footy to this day is about contested footy.
“A lot of positioning, knowing when to roll up and little things like that, and driving that everyone buys in to what we do, they demand respect in that regard. There’s no tolerance at AFL level and they’ve played that, so it’s good to get those blokes down to really drive that standard and at the moment, everyone’s buying in.”
Supplementing their knowledge, leadership and skill set, the depth of players vying for selection is also just about unprecedented.
The Panthers had 16 players who missed out on playing any footy at all on the weekend – a situation likely to continue throughout 2023 with as many as 80 players at Glover Reserve for some sessions throughout preseason.
Last year, there was no more than 50.
It’s the young players, in particular, who have stood out.
St Kilda City recruit, ruck Riley Simmons has improved markedly since arriving under Ryder’s tutelage, while defender Jayden Sullivan, who takes in experience from Poowong and Cranbourne, and 2022 standout Alex Canal, who is still yet to hit his prime, are the players earmarked for a big year.
“We understand we’ve recruited well but our main drive is to all buy in,” said Hendy.
“Recruits are great to get but it’s about progressing our young kids into being senior footballers and getting a strong base around the whole footy club of players who will put pressure on each other for spots.
“We won’t look too far ahead this year and worry about the big picture at the end of the year, hopefully.
“Last year was good for the boys to have a taste of what we were aiming for. We believe we were better than where we finished. But you play in a cut-throat league out here at the moment.
“At the start of last year we were sitting in the top two after round eight and the boys thought the season would maybe just roll on – maybe we didn’t work as hard as what we could’ve to get where we wanted to get, so that’s all a learning experience for all the young kids, because we are a young list and you can only take the positives out of the negatives sometimes.”
Hendy is also pleased with the assortment of players leading the group in different ways this season.
Beyond the two captains in Kent and Battle, Joel Hillis, Jamie Plumridge, recruit Steve Hawkins, and Paddy Harmes are all imparting their experience on the group in different ways.
It’s one reason why Hendy believes the squad will be steeled by the early finals exit in 2023 against Pearcedale, despite looking a legitimate premiership contender early in the season.
“It was disappointing to bow out the way we did last year but hopefully the boys got a lot out of it – for a lot of them it was their first time playing finals so they should know what to expect now, if we’re lucky enough to have it eventuate again.
“Hopefully it drives them after getting a bit of a taste.”
