SFNL Div 2 2025

[unwise gamgee]

played beena and endeavour hills in the wet this year. their game styles don't really suit it but if it's VERY wet hills are a good chance otherwise beena are a shoe-in
malvern and beena already played each other in the wet this year and malvern kicked a point after half time. Beena are a lot more even across the field and are a lot stronger suited to inclement weather

 

[Backyard Bruce]

played beena and endeavour hills in the wet this year. their game styles don't really suit it but if it's VERY wet hills are a good chance otherwise beena are a shoe-in
malvern and beena already played each other in the wet this year and malvern kicked a point after half time. Beena are a lot more even across the field and are a lot stronger suited to inclement weather

I expect Elton John and Sam Toglongs to really embrace the conditions

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Latest episode of Life and Crimes (Andrew Rule) podcast certainly worth a lesson.

Quite openly talks about big drug dealer Ian Lesser and his connections to St Kilda City, former player Christian Middleton (Moran), a couple of current players buying drugs from his house (incl the brother of an AFL player?)

Calls them “the local amateur club” but obvious who he means.

 

[batfink]

Highett losing Duscher and McCarthy to Dingley not the news they wanted to hear but might not be as bad as it seems
McCarthy will play predominantly vfl next year and Duscher too outside a player in an average side
Damaging in a good team when ball given to him where his foot skills are elite

 

[Hit The Boundary Saints]

Highett losing Duscher and McCarthy to Dingley not the news they wanted to hear but might not be as bad as it seems
McCarthy will play predominantly vfl next year and Duscher too outside a player in an average side
Damaging in a good team when ball given to him where his foot skills are elite

Duscher won the B&F comfortably and was 2nd in the comp, so not sure what is meant here. Will be a big loss. McCarthy only played 6 games, and only the 2 Richmond byes after first picked for Richmond, so club wasn't expecting much in 2025, and a move to a Div 1 club in some comp was always on the cards.

 

[batfink]

Duscher won the B&F comfortably and was 2nd in the comp, so not sure what is meant here. Will be a big loss. McCarthy only played 6 games, and only the 2 Richmond byes after first picked for Richmond, so club wasn't expecting much in 2025, and a move to a Div 1 club in some comp was always on the cards.

I was trying to put a positive spin on it for Highett by saying McCarthy not available much but probably did duscher a disservice as a very good player but still think he can be replaced by some inside mids
Previous 2 years he their play maker and set them up to score but this year racked up possessions without any scoreboard impact
Obviously prefer him to stay if had a choice but can’t match the money dingley are throwing at players

 

[Jane Doe]

Mordialloc recruited a few already.

 

[2s Hack]

Mordialloc recruited a few already.

Looks like their getting the band back together

 

[Wild Thing]

Mordialloc recruited a few already.

Div 2 has improved over last 5 or so years so won’t be as easy for them and coming from a bit back.
East Malvern, Hampton Park, Chelsea Hts, Doveton and Frankston won’t be push overs.

 

[bedford]

Murrumbeena on top of points 46

 

[unwise gamgee]

any recruitment news outside of mordialloc?

 

[SaintsMagee]

How much are HP with all their recruits winning the league by next year?

 

[Big buzz]

Looks like their getting the band back together

Are they all coming back to hopefully get a easy flag which I don’t think will be easy for anyone next year or for some other reason are they getting a few back m8

 

[Jane Doe]

Are they all coming back to hopefully get a easy flag which I don’t think will be easy for anyone next year or for some other reason are they getting a few back m8

Good players but not game breakers. Most are in their 30's now. Might attract some bigger names who knows.

 

[don_draper]

Mordi would appear to be coming from a long way back, even allowing for the drop from Div 1. Winless with a percentage below 20 is pretty woeful. You'd think their signings to date might make them semi-competitive at best.

 

[Big buzz]

Hp picking up some good players Hawkin’s from Vermont and was there first ruck he also played at vfl sandy and box hill Haywood is back after a year at ellinbank and 3 others from noble park Liam Scott is one of them who is a chf chb and one of nobles best players plus a couple more so far from mpnfl and think they are still talking to a few more

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Hp picking up some good players Hawkin’s from Vermont and was there first ruck he also played at vfl sandy and box hill Haywood is back after a year at ellinbank and 3 others from noble park Liam Scott is one of them who is a chf chb and one of nobles best players plus a couple more so far from mpnfl and think they are still talking to a few more

Hawkins is a very very good player and a very good pickup. His phone would’ve run hot after Vermont signed Buxton. It’s an upgrade for Vermont but Hawkins was absolutely no slouch at EFNL Premier level. I think he’ll be dominant at Div 2 level.

 

[God Yeah]

John Brown announced as the new Senior Coach of East Malvern. Former coach at Frankston Bombers and prior to that Rowville.

A handy addition at the zoo.

 

[Jane Doe]

John Brown announced as the new Senior Coach of East Malvern. Former coach at Frankston Bombers and prior to that Rowville.

A handy addition at the zoo.

He left Frankston Bombers very suddenly last pre season

 

[FootballGuy95]

Deakyn smith not returning to Doveton big loss was arguably there best player second half of the year

 

[Pendles1991]

Any early ladder predictions based off the recruits and departures so far from all teams? I know its early but I'm new to the Southern and intrigued to know everyone's thoughts

 

[MoorabbinMauler2]

Any early ladder predictions based off the recruits and departures so far from all teams? I know its early but I'm new to the Southern and intrigued to know everyone's thoughts

Can't say I have the knowledge here that I used to possess, but will try and make a good fist of it.

Biggest contenders for mine are Hampton Park, Doveton, Chelsea Heights and East Malvern.
H.P were a good side last year, and despite losing Stanton and some others to retirement/suspension, Bull and a strong contingent of Noble Park players should reinforce the side nicely and put them in great stead to secure a long awaited D1 berth.
E.M were somewhat of a surprise package, surging through to the grand final on the back of a D1 standard top end and a dogged defence. Morrisby is an absolute superstar and would be one of the top 3 players in D2, who when combined with Brunner and Amendola (both gun midfielders who hit the scoreboard) and some good KPP utilities like Berryman ensure they'll be up around the pointy end again. Worth noting that those blokes haven't been re-announced yet, but in most likelihood will be staying. A wildcard is the new coach as well as the possible return of Nathan Peterson, who is another out and out star.
Dovey played a shocker of a prelim final, but still largely have the same pieces as last season with the exception of Deakyn Smith, who as mentioned above, was their best player for the second half of the season. They have really good depth, but a lot will be on Chapman (who for mine is a top 3 ruckman in the entire SFNL) and Ricky Johnson (league B+F) to finally get over the hump.
Chelsea are an interesting case, had a season ravaged by injury, but were pretty stiff to go down as 9th in D1. Tapscott will be the best player in the div (was top 5 in div 1) and their skipper MacPherson would also be in the best handful of players, remains to be seen if Nathan Wright will play but I'd bet he winds up pulling the red and blue on at some stage. Their top 16 or so players are clearly D1 standard, but it's those bottom 6 or so that'll determine how far they can go this season, though they are easier to shield in the slower D2. Have a crop of U19s coming through too, but not sure on quality. They should be up and amongst it again.

Contending for finals should be Caulfield and Frankston
Caulfield are always pretty similar year on year, and are always a good side albeit a tad workmanlike. Getting a full year out of Dunn should help things, as he's a colossus up forward. Look for Wheaton, Schumann, Chin and the ever reliable Ballard to help propel the Bears towards finals.
Frankston are the biggest wildcard here, and have offset the loss of Chapman (who has retired) by getting back Andy Mathers and Jak Nardino for 2025, who instantly form one of the best 1-2 punches in div 2. Nardino won a Prem B league medal and Mathers finished runner up in MPFNL Div 2 league medal, so both are well above the standard of div 2. Adding them to a very solid spine, who now have the monkey off their back after finally breaking through for a premiership, bodes promisingly for the Dolphins, who are looking to push for div 1 so they can finally be accepted into the MPFNL. Another team with a very promising crop of U19s.


Looking to consolidate in D2 in my opinion are: Keysborough, Mordialloc, Highett and Endeavour Hills.
Keysy outperformed expectations last year. Many expected them to head down to D3 due to losing a boatload of players to the VAFA, but the Burras defied the odds to be a competitive side. No reason for them to regress massively, but you'd be surprised if they made finals.
Endeavour had a solid season, adapting solidly to D2 life but copped some massive beltings from the top sides. They're still quite a young team, and natural development should help them improve. Rafferty is a bull in the middle and ruckman VanVelsen should return this year. Look for Luke Peters and Liam Hasler to continue their ascent to SFNL stars, who should mesh well with the mercurial Josiah Kyle to hopefully continue the Falcons' upward trajectory.
Mordialloc seem to have got the proverbial band back together in the aftermath of their disappointing D1 disaster last season. They've lost Nick Grech, who was probably their best player last season to the MPFNL but sill have Toby Plant, who will be in the upper echelon of midfielders in the division. They've also managed to entice Brodie Woodcock back from Heatherton, who is a very exciting prospect for the future. The bloods are a bit of an unknown but should at least be competitive you'd think.
Finally there's Highett, who have suffered the hammer blow of losing Jacob Duscher to Dingley. Duscher will leave an enormous hole in the Doggies' midfield as he was one of the premier players of the division. Despite that, they still have a solid core and have supplemented it with a slew of D1 reserves players. A full preseason from star big man Macklin Raine will help their cause, but I'd be surprised to see them play finals.

In short, the competition lacks a true standout like it has in years past (Murrumbeena and East Brighton). Which should hopefully make for an even season where anyone is capable of beating anyone. Here's my way too early predicted ladder:
Chelsea Heights
East Malvern
Hampton Park
Doveton
Frankston Dolphins
Caulfield
Endeavour Hills
Highett
Mordialloc
Keysborough

 

[Fadge]

Can't say I have the knowledge here that I used to possess, but will try and make a good fist of it.

Biggest contenders for mine are Hampton Park, Doveton, Chelsea Heights and East Malvern.
H.P were a good side last year, and despite losing Stanton and some others to retirement/suspension, Bull and a strong contingent of Noble Park players should reinforce the side nicely and put them in great stead to secure a long awaited D1 berth.
E.M were somewhat of a surprise package, surging through to the grand final on the back of a D1 standard top end and a dogged defence. Morrisby is an absolute superstar and would be one of the top 3 players in D2, who when combined with Brunner and Amendola (both gun midfielders who hit the scoreboard) and some good KPP utilities like Berryman ensure they'll be up around the pointy end again. Worth noting that those blokes haven't been re-announced yet, but in most likelihood will be staying. A wildcard is the new coach as well as the possible return of Nathan Peterson, who is another out and out star.
Dovey played a shocker of a prelim final, but still largely have the same pieces as last season with the exception of Deakyn Smith, who as mentioned above, was their best player for the second half of the season. They have really good depth, but a lot will be on Chapman (who for mine is a top 3 ruckman in the entire SFNL) and Ricky Johnson (league B+F) to finally get over the hump.
Chelsea are an interesting case, had a season ravaged by injury, but were pretty stiff to go down as 9th in D1. Tapscott will be the best player in the div (was top 5 in div 1) and their skipper MacPherson would also be in the best handful of players, remains to be seen if Nathan Wright will play but I'd bet he winds up pulling the red and blue on at some stage. Their top 16 or so players are clearly D1 standard, but it's those bottom 6 or so that'll determine how far they can go this season, though they are easier to shield in the slower D2. Have a crop of U19s coming through too, but not sure on quality. They should be up and amongst it again.

Contending for finals should be Caulfield and Frankston
Caulfield are always pretty similar year on year, and are always a good side albeit a tad workmanlike. Getting a full year out of Dunn should help things, as he's a colossus up forward. Look for Wheaton, Schumann, Chin and the ever reliable Ballard to help propel the Bears towards finals.
Frankston are the biggest wildcard here, and have offset the loss of Chapman (who has retired) by getting back Andy Mathers and Jak Nardino for 2025, who instantly form one of the best 1-2 punches in div 2. Nardino won a Prem B league medal and Mathers finished runner up in MPFNL Div 2 league medal, so both are well above the standard of div 2. Adding them to a very solid spine, who now have the monkey off their back after finally breaking through for a premiership, bodes promisingly for the Dolphins, who are looking to push for div 1 so they can finally be accepted into the MPFNL. Another team with a very promising crop of U19s.


Looking to consolidate in D2 in my opinion are: Keysborough, Mordialloc, Highett and Endeavour Hills.
Keysy outperformed expectations last year. Many expected them to head down to D3 due to losing a boatload of players to the VAFA, but the Burras defied the odds to be a competitive side. No reason for them to regress massively, but you'd be surprised if they made finals.
Endeavour had a solid season, adapting solidly to D2 life but copped some massive beltings from the top sides. They're still quite a young team, and natural development should help them improve. Rafferty is a bull in the middle and ruckman VanVelsen should return this year. Look for Luke Peters and Liam Hasler to continue their ascent to SFNL stars, who should mesh well with the mercurial Josiah Kyle to hopefully continue the Falcons' upward trajectory.
Mordialloc seem to have got the proverbial band back together in the aftermath of their disappointing D1 disaster last season. They've lost Nick Grech, who was probably their best player last season to the MPFNL but sill have Toby Plant, who will be in the upper echelon of midfielders in the division. They've also managed to entice Brodie Woodcock back from Heatherton, who is a very exciting prospect for the future. The bloods are a bit of an unknown but should at least be competitive you'd think.
Finally there's Highett, who have suffered the hammer blow of losing Jacob Duscher to Dingley. Duscher will leave an enormous hole in the Doggies' midfield as he was one of the premier players of the division. Despite that, they still have a solid core and have supplemented it with a slew of D1 reserves players. A full preseason from star big man Macklin Raine will help their cause, but I'd be surprised to see them play finals.

In short, the competition lacks a true standout like it has in years past (Murrumbeena and East Brighton). Which should hopefully make for an even season where anyone is capable of beating anyone. Here's my way too early predicted ladder:
Chelsea Heights
East Malvern
Hampton Park
Doveton
Frankston Dolphins
Caulfield
Endeavour Hills
Highett
Mordialloc
Keysborough

Great write-up! Reckon you need to share your thoughts for the other Divisions!

Edit - notice you did a write-up in September for Div 1 and some updates since.