Cranbourne was relegated from Southern Division 1 at the conclusion of this year’s football season but there is plenty of excitement ahead of next year.
It was clear from the early parts of the season that on-field leadership was lacking and with frequent injuries to senior players, the team felt the full impact.
It is a priority that the Eagles hold at the forefront as they head into the 2026 season, having already signed club legend and leading goalkicker Marc Holt, former VFL player Mitch Lewis and Matt Bowles – all as assistant coaches.
Lewis will bolster the midfield, while Holt will offer a strong target in the forward line, also working alongside the younger key position players.
It was a turbulent first season for coach Angelo Soldatos, but the club will be hoping that the side can achieve success with greater experience in the coaching ranks.
“We identified really early (last season) that we needed help with the coaching side of things, it’s just to be able to spread the load a bit, not just for myself, but for Dave Mair as well, who is also staying on as assistant coach for next year,” Soldatos said.
“All three of them have been around footy for a very long time and see it in a similar way, they aren’t just going to sit there, they are going to have challenging conversations.
“We also knew we needed to get in some guys who are in the age demographic that Mitch is, he is 27 and coming into his prime … we want guys in that sweet spot.”
Soldatos said the new coaching appointments gave him strong reinforcement in his role and more freedom to be the coach he wanted to be.
“If I look back at pre-season last year, it was really challenging from a coaching perspective,” he said.
“You come in, you are trying to form connections with the players, introduce a new game plan and all that sort of stuff and it feels like you are trying to do it all.”
Holt has kicked over 1200 goals for Cranbourne across 287 senior games, and you can expect plenty more in Southern Division 2 next season.
However, the superstar says it’s not about him and is focused on developing the young players and contributing however he can.
“We spoke about it and the timing of it is pretty funny, we want him to do almost like what Jack Gunston has done at Hawthorn, where he has the ability to come in and help the young boys,” Soldatos said.
“He will be helping some of the young key position players with craft and bodywork, whether that be the forwards, rucks or backs.
Holt’s experience will be invaluable, as too will his on-field presence, giving the side a strong target when going inside 50 – something the side didn’t have this year.
“He has also been playing some good footy in the past couple of years at Lang Lang, kicking 48 goals in 12 games this season and 86 goals last year,” Soldatos said.
“We really struggled to kick a score this season, even in games where we were playing good footy, we couldn’t find the ways to put scoreboard pressure on the opposition.”
Lewis is another player to have signed on at the Eagles, putting pen to paper for 2026 and 2027.
The hard-running midfielder will also be a playing assistant coach, set to contribute strongly to the engine room and offer leadership for the young side.
Lewis has VFL experience with Casey Demons and most recently played with Mansfield in the Goulburn Valley Football League.
“I coached Mitch at Bayswater and we played together as well, I had known him for a while and we have always stayed in contact,” Soldatos said.
“He is a ripping guy and will be great for the group, so we are stoked to have him … it is going to be a fairly easy transition for him into coaching I think.”
With strong retention and skipper Zak Roscoe also locked in at Amstel Reserve, there is plenty for Eagles fans to smile about.
The third piece of the puzzle is Bowles, who will also be an assistant coach for 2026.
He has spent time with Gembrook, Cheltenham, Sandringham Zebras and St Paul’s McKinnon – he will bring a wealth of knowledge to the club.
“Matt is a really good mate of mine, we were at Cheltenham together when I was playing there and we hit it off from the first session there really,” Soldatos said.
“He came and watched the final game of the year against Cheltenham, he lives in Carrum and is a firefighter in Dandenong, so logistically it just made sense for him to be at Cranbourne.”
With the coaching inclusions and some more big signings to come, the Eagles will hope to be a Division 2 powerhouse and soar back up to the top level.
