By Josh Ward.
Plenty of positives this past year for the Eagles, with their juniors joining the competition and their senior men’s side falling just short of a grand final appearance.
Senior Men’s
Ladder Position: 5th (11-7, 135.41%)
Leading Goalkicker: Charlie Muley (34 goals in 20 matches)
Best and Fairest: Devon Smith
Summary:
The Eagles best season to date since joining the EFNL in 2022, falling just eight points short of making the Division 1 Grand Final.
It was a year where its depth was at times tested, particularly in the opening half of the season where players were either injured or playing VFL.
When they got their best lineup onto the park though Mick Fogarty’s men were as good as any side. This proved to be the case in the final month of the regular season when they won three of their last five games.
Heading into finals with plenty of momentum, they were able to knock off Montrose and South Belgrave in the opening two weeks before ultimately falling to minor premiers Park Orchards.
Key Players:
Mick Fogarty’s side certainly wasn’t short of contributors throughout the season. The one standout though was Team of the Year member Brandon White who averaged 25 disposals, 3.9 intercept marks and 7.3 rebound 50s per game.
Midfielder Devon Smith took home the Eagles B&F though following a season where he played all 21 games, averaging 18.7 disposals and 9.7 contested possessions per game.
Leading goalkicker Charlie Muley also broke through for a Team of the Year appearance after crossing from Berwick. VFL-listed players Mitch Szybkowski and Kade De La Rue were also key players when available.
Best Win: Semi Final - Beaconsfield 7.13.55 defeated South Belgrave 7.10.52 @ Tormore Reserve
Whilst their first EFNL finals win was a good one, can’t go past this finals win against a South Belgrave side who they hadn’t defeated in their four regular season games in 2023 & 2024.
In windy conditions both sides were evenly matched in the first half, with the Eagles holding a one-goal advantage heading into the main break.
After conceding that lead against the breeze, Beaconsfield headed into three quarter time down by two goals. However three goals early in the last saw them rush out to a six point lead.
They were then able to hold off a late South Belgrave charge to consign the Saints to a straight sets finals exit and make it consecutive finals wins for themselves.
Young guns De La Rue and Connor Mouat both starred in defence and midfield whilst Jafar Ocaa’s three goals straight was a key factor in the Eagles win.
Off-Season Focus:
Following that breakthrough year the Eagles have gone out and added more depth as well as some top end talent to their list.
Ex-Richmond player Jake Aarts has returned to Holm Park after a strong few years in the Mornington Peninsula Football Netball League with Dromana.
Ali Zijai has also signed on, reuniting with Mick Fogarty after spending a couple of seasons with Rowville. Cooper Brown and Travis Stewart have also signed on from Longwarry and Crib Point respectively.
Whilst they’ve lost Nathan Wright, the pieces Beaconsfield have added to the side will go a long way to seeing them remain one of the stronger teams in Division 1.
Senior Women’s
Ladder Position: 6th (0-13, 17.62%)
Leading Goalkicker: Lauree Metcalfe (5 goals in 12 matches)
Best and Fairest: Maddison Blackburn
Summary:
A tough season for the Eagles women’s program in a highly competitive Division 1, going winless for the first time since joining the EFNL women’s competition.
Under a new coach in John Blackburn, the women’s side certainly had some promising performances, particularly in the first half of the season against grand finalists Park Orchards and North Ringwood.
However they started to fade away in the final month of the season to finish at the foot of the Division 1 table.
Key Players:
Star midfielder Maddison Blackburn was once again stellar for the Eagles, taking home another Best and Fairest award and being named in the best on nine of 11 occasions.
Lauren Hojnacki polled the most votes on Chandler Medal night though, falling four votes short of the Division 1 B&F winner in Paris Gebel-Lamb.
Sammy Wilko also had a consistent season alongside Cassie Martin and Jessica Hartfield, with all three being named in the best in at least seven matches each.
Best Win: N/A
Off-Season Focus:
Bit to work on for the Beaconsfield women’s side following their winless campaign.
They’ll once again be under new leadership, with Glen Davies taking over as head coach of the women’s side following the departure of John Blackburn.
There’s certainly a lot of talent on the list. If they’re able to retain it and add a few more players to the list then they’ll be competitive in season 2025.
Juniors
This past year saw the introduction of the Beaconsfield junior sides into the EFNL, with a total of 21 sides competing in the junior competition from Under 8s to Under 17s.
Of those sides, eight would go on and play finals from U11s up, with a further three sides playing off in Grand Finals in their respective divisions.
Two of Beaconsfield grand finalists would go on and win premierships in the Under 12D and Under 14D competition.
A strong first season for the Eagles junior program in the EFNL as they look to continue building a strong pathway to their seniors.