By Connor Burns
See how all the players performed against Essendon in the last game of our season, as the boys went down by 38 points to a classy side at Piranha Park on Sunday.
Joel Trudgeon (31 disposals, eight inside-50’s, eight clearances, five marks)
‘Trudge’ finished off a brilliant season by being among the best players on the ground on Sunday. After stints with Carlton VFL and Box Hill in recent years, the 22-year-old made a name for himself with Coburg this season. Ultra-competitive, Trudgeon won plenty of clearances and racked up possessions against Essendon. He also had 18 contested possessions to be the most dominant inside midfielder across the match, and he will feature strongly on best and fairest night after a brilliant season.
Donovan Toohey (30 disposals, six rebound-50’s, three marks, one inside-50’s)
Toohey has been one of Coburg’s major ball-winners and players in season 2024. He again racked up the footy and provided great drive off half-back, with six rebound-50’s. He is a lovely kick of the footy and used the footy well with 87% disposal efficiency. He also chipped in with four intercept possessions and repelled Essendon’s forward forays multiple times.
Josh D’Intinosante (26 disposals, nine tackles, nine clearances, five marks)
‘JD’ was one of the most influential players on the field and continually provides a spark for the Lions. He has gone forward successfully this year, kicking goals but also can match it with the best in the midfield. He spent more time in the midfield on the weekend and found plenty of the footy, having a game-high nine clearances and produced some moments of brilliance. D’Intinosante has gone from strength to strength this year and Coburg will hope that continues into next season.
Flynn Gentile (25 disposals, six inside-50’s, eight tackles, five marks)
The 21-year-old has been a star since walking through the doors in 2022, already chalking up over 50 games with the club. He never plays a bad game and is very professional for such a young player. He showed again why he is fancied for the J.J Liston Trophy at the VFL awards night, by racking up the footy and providing great drive for Coburg. He covered the ground well on Sunday having six inside-50’s, but also three rebound-50’s. He has great burst out of the stoppages and used the ball well on the weekend (76% disposal efficiency). Set to be a star of the VFL competition for many years to come if higher honours don’t come knocking.
Lachlan Walker (23 disposals, eight marks, two inside-50’s, three rebound-50’s)
I say this every week but how reliable is this bloke. Walker has had arguably a career best season, averaging over 24 disposals and six marks per game. He was once again a steadying influence behind the footy when Essendon came out of the blocks hard. His impressive disposal efficiency of 96% showed how well he used the ball and the poise that he had even under pressure. Has had a brilliant season and will be a massive part of the club’s future.
Max Kennedy (20 disposals, five rebound-50’s, three marks, four tackles)
Kennedy made a strong return from a broken hand, getting plenty of the footy out on the wing. He also acted as another defender using his tank to get back and help his defence. His five rebound-50’s and four tackles were a testament to that while his work-rate allowed him to get plenty of free ball. His 16 uncontested possessions meant he was able to have time and space to use the footy well. He wrapped up a strong season and will look to take his game even further next season.
Deacon Kalpakis (16 disposals, four marks, three rebound-50’s, 81% disposal efficiency)
The 20-year-old has showed impressive signs this year and was solid again on the weekend. He plays with a calm and composed demeanour and has looked comfortable on a VFL field this year after becoming a premier defender of the Northern Football League for South Morang in recent years. He uses the ball well with a neat left boot and is a very good find for Coburg at just 20 years of age. Will continue to get better and he is certain to be a key part of the Lions future.
Tom McKenzie (14 disposals, two inside-50’s, three rebound-50’s, two marks)
The 24-year-old has found himself in and out of the team at times in 2024 but has accounted himself well when he has played. He provided a few flashes of brilliance on the wing, using his agility and speed to break the lines against Essendon. I would love to see the ball in his hands more with his speed opening the game up for Coburg. He used the ball well (86% disposal efficiency) and worked up and back to help his teammates. He will be looking to become a mainstay and hold down that wing position next season.
Will Bella (14 disposals, four marks, five tackles, 22 hit outs)
Bella tried his heart out after returning to the team as the sole ruckman in place of the injured Cooper Keogh. Although Essendon’s veteran ruck Todd Goldstein went down early, Bella competed strongly against Peter Wright. At times he used his mobility to advantage and took some really imposing marks. The 21-year-old normally plays as a key forward, but he may be used as a second-ruck option in the future.
Caleb Ernst (13 disposals, four marks, five inside-50’s, one goal)
Although it was probably a tale of two halves for Ernst, he took another step forward in his development on Sunday. The 21-year-old looked lively in the air and on the ground in the first half and was influential on the contest. Some of the service and lack of inside-50’s throughout stages in the second half halted Ernst’s impact on the match. He kicked a nice goal and took some good marks to round out a productive year for the talented youngster.
Charlie Beasley (13 disposals, three marks, five rebound-50’s, four intercept possessions)
Beasley rounded out a strong season on Sunday and defended well for much of the game. An old school backman who is reliable, Beasley executed a lot of imposing spoils while being able to intercept and provide a bit of drive from half-back. He did all of those things at stages on the weekend, but along with his fellow backman Beasley was sometimes caught out of position due to Essendon’s rapid ball movement. The 24-year-old has solidified himself as a strong and reliable key defender this season and will build on his craft over the next pre-season.
Ryan Sturgess (12 disposals, two marks, three tackles, two goals)
Sturgess wasn’t at his best for a lot of the game, failing to take intercept marks and impact in the air like he normally does. However, the 22-year-old went forward in the last quarter and kicked two goals and was able to provide a spark for his team. He has had a strong season and is a strong part of Coburg’s leadership group and future.
Braedyn Gillard (12 disposals, four inside-50’s, four clearances, one goal)
Gillard was quieter than usual against Essendon but still had an impact on the contest. He was particularly good in the first half and kicked an important goal just before half-time to get the Lions right back in the contest. Was part of a midfield that was beaten inside against very talented opponents, but the 23-year-old still had four clearances and used the ball relatively well throughout the day. He is another player that has taken steps forward in 2024.
George Belcher (12 disposals, three marks, one tackle, 83% disposal efficiency)
Belcher has had to work very hard for opportunities this year in an ever-improving side. He floated in and out of the game a bit of Sunday but was solid down back. The 22-year-old used the ball well under pressure and continues to improve with ever outing. He finishes the season with four games to his name and will be looking for a big pre-season and more game time next season.
Kyle Weightman (11 disposals, four marks, two tackles, two goals)
Weighman started the game well and was looking at his lively best on Sunday. He set up multiple scores with five score involvements, while also kicking two crafty goals. The man known as ‘Flea’ finishes the season having kicked a total of 18.26, with inaccuracy robbing him of some massive performances at times this year. He will be looking to have a big summer on the track and become a premier small forward of the VFL competition next season.
Max Thompson (11 disposals, three marks, one clearance, two goals)
Thompson played a solid game across half-forward, finishing with two goals. The 21-year-old provided flashes of brilliance and obviously has plenty of talent. He again produced some magic on Saturday but would love to be more consistent across the four-quarters leading into next year. As a small forward he would also love to lift his tackling numbers and pressure acts in 2025.
Mitch Podhajski (11 disposals, three marks, five score involvements, two goals)
After having some terrible luck with injury for much of the year, Podhajski returned late in the year to play a strong six weeks of footy. He kicked 13 goals across those games, with a brilliant five goal display against the Northern Bullants in round 20. Will hope for a great pre-season and a better run with injury. Podhajski has the ability to rip games apart and will be a vital contributor to Coburg’s fortunes next season.
Rhys Galvin (11 disposals, two marks, four intercept possessions, one rebound-50’s)
It’s crazy to think that Galvin just turned 20 years old. He is one of the strongest looking footballers there is and has wonderful athleticism. While injuries made it tough to get continuity in his game this year, Galvin is just scratching the surface with what he can achieve in the future. He took a few big marks and spoilt the ball with purpose on the weekend. The big man is a competitive beast and looks like he will be a valuable asset to the club in the future.
Liam Serong (eight disposals, five marks, five reound-50’s, three tackles)
Serong has only just turned 20 years old and has great footy pedigree. He is the brother of AFL players Caleb and Jai and has forged his own path this season. He was the coaches vote for the Lion of the Round on Sunday and gets better and better every time he steps on the field. He spent time on Jobe Shanahan at stages on Saturday and was sometimes caught out of position due to Essendon’s speedy ball movement. But he read the ball well and finished the season having played 11 VFL games, gaining valuable exposure at the level.
Ben Crick (eight disposals, three marks, two intercept possessions, two score involvements)
Crick’s number aren’t ever big playing what is at times a thankless task on the half-forward flank. He has gained good exposure at VFL level and showed great signs again on Sunday. His courage and work rate are elements that the coaches love about Crick, with his productive VFL season drawing to a close on the weekend. He started it by playing for Montmorency in the Northern Football League before forcing his way into Coburg’s team after some strong performances and will continue to hone his craft over the summer.
Henry Brown (eight disposals, one inside-50, seven contested possessions, one tackle)
Another player who is in his first VFL season, Brown has played an important role this season fro Coburg. He always provides a lot of pressure and his work rate was strong against Essendon. Seven of his eight disposals were contested which highlights his strengths in and around the contest. He only used the ball at 25% efficiency, and he will look to hit the scoreboard more often and add some more polish to his game ahead of next season.
Josh May (five disposals, three marks, two inside-50’s, two score involvements)
After playing much of the season down back, May had been used in a forward role to stretch the oppositions defence the past few weeks. The idea hasn’t worked particularly well with May struggling to impact the game in those outings. However, he competed hard on the weekend and pulled down a couple of nice grabs. He may train as forward this pre-season to help hone his craft and become an influential player in attack moving forward.
Jesse Corigliano (five disposals, three marks, one inside-50, one goal)
The veteran and Coburg legend was way down on his usual productivity against Essendon. In the backend of the season Corigliano moved forward and way able to provide some real experience and great goal sense down there. Unfortunately, he struggled to get into the game on the weekend with poor forward pressure collectively and Essendon’s intercept marking stifling his opportunities as a small forward. He was able to kick a goal and nonetheless had a very good season. A club great, he will no doubt be back next year and continue to be a key figure of this football club.
