Mount Evelyn returned to the Eastern Football Netball League in season 2022, finishing second on the ladder in Premier Division.
By Ryan Long.
Mt Evelyn
Ladder Position: 2nd (9-5, 136.18%)
Best and Fairest: Georgia Macpherson
Leading Goalkicker: Isobel Urquhart (15)
Summary:
The Mount Evelyn Senior women returned to the Eastern Football Netball League in season 2022. The club’s senior side competed in the highest division, Premier Division. They had a great year, winning nine out of their fourteen matches to finish in second place, one win above South Croydon.
They were the only side in 2022 to knock off the eventual Premiers, the Eastern Devils. They also defeated every other team in the top division at least once throughout the season.
A second-place finish saw the girls earn themselves the double chance and a Semi-Final match-up against the Eastern Devils. A 55-point loss to the Minor Premiers meant the side had to take on South Croydon in a Preliminary Final for another shot at the Devils. It was an even game for the majority of the afternoon. Two last-quarter goals saw the Bulldogs runaway 22-point winners, ending Mount Evelyn’s year.
Key Players:
Georgia Macpherson had a year to remember, the Senior Women Best and Fairest winner and a representative in the EFNL Premier Division Team of the Year. Coming second in the Best and Fairest was the club’s leading goal kicker Isobel Urquhart.
Savannah Bowden was one of the club’s most consistent players, in the best ten times, not missing a single game for the year while Matilda Kelly finished in the best a total of eight times in 2022.
Best Win: Round 9 – Mt Evelyn 5.5 35 def. Eastern Devils 3.3 21 @Mt Evelyn Reserve
By far the club’s most impressive win for the year, knocking off the undefeated Eastern Devils at home. The win was set up off the back of a dominant first quarter, with three goals to zip. They were challenged for the rest of the afternoon with the Devils cutting the margin back to ten points at the final change. However, they held on, kicking the sealer in the last quarter for a fourteen-point win.
Considering how strong the Devils were throughout the year, this was a giant win for the club and will be something the club can take into next season knowing they can run with the best.
Off-Season Focus:
One key area the club might want to focus on over the off-season is their forward line. Compared to the other top four sides in Premier Division, they averaged fewer points per game. Isobel Urquhart was the side’s leading goal scorer with 15 but an extra one or two targets inside 50 would certainly help.
Defensively, the club is one of the best sides in the competition so if they were able to match it at the other end of the ground, they may be a serious premiership contender in season 2023.
Mount Evelyn Juniors
The Under 18 Girls side had a fantastic year in 2022, coming across from the Outer East. The side lost just one game for the Home and Away season and capped off a fantastic season, winning the Grand Final against Vermont. They’ll be back next season to defend their premiership.