Coburg took a step in the right direction in 2024, with the Lions enjoying several drought-breaking successes as well as two Battle of Bell Street wins against their biggest rival.
BY THE NUMBERS
Position: 18th
W-L-D (%): 5-13 (83.8%)
Players used: 41
Played every match: 6 – Jesse Corigliano, Josh D’Intinosante, Flynn Gentile, Braedyn Gillard, Joel Trudgeon, Lachlan Walker
Ex-AFL players: 1 (11 matches)
Debutants: 12 – Henry Brown, Davin Cameron, Ben Crick, Caleb Ernst, Sam Grant, Deacon Kalpakis, Ben Major, Tom Rowland, Liam Serong, Donovan Toohey , Giacomo Thomas, Ben Thomson
STAR PERFORMERS
Best and Fairest: 1st: Flynn Gentile (119 votes), 2nd: Joel Trudgeon (114), 3rd: Jesse Corigliano (100), 4th: Josh D’Intinosante (98), 5th: Braedyn Gillard (97)
J.J. Liston Trophy: Joel Trudgeon (12 votes), Flynn Gentile (5), Cooper Keogh (5), Donovan Toohey (4), Josh D’Intinosante (3), Deacon Kalpakis (3), Mitch Podhajski (3)
Coaches MVP Award: Flynn Gentile (48 votes), Joel Trudgeon (34), Josh D’Intinosante (23), Cooper Keogh (18), Hugo Bromell (17)
Smithy’s VFL Team of the Year: Flynn Gentile (interchange)
Leading Goalkickers: Josh D’Intinosante (24), Kyle Weightman (18), Mitch Podhajski (13), Will Bella (12), Joel Trudgeon (11), Braedyn Gillard (11)
STAT LEADERS
(Averages – Minimum 6 matches)
Disposals: Joel Trudgeon 27.4, Flynn Gentile 26.6, Donovan Toohey 25.7, Lachlan Walker 24.2, Hugo Bromell 22.2
Contested possessions: Cooper Keogh 14.3 (8th), Joel Trudgeon 12.9, Flynn Gentile 10.7, Hugo Bromell 10.4, Luke Bailey 10.0
Kicks: Donovan Toohey 18.9, Flynn Gentile 14.1, Lachlan Walker 12.4, Joel Trudgeon 12.1, Jesse Corigliano 12.0
Handballs: Joel Trudgeon 15.3 (8th), Cooper Keogh 14.1, Hugo Bromell 12.8, Flynn Gentile 12.4, Lachlan Walker 11.7
Marks: Deacon Kalpakis 6.1, Lachlan Walker 6.1, Ryan Sturgess 5.8, Max Kennedy 5.1, Max Thompson 4.9, Jesse Corigliano 4.9
Tackles: Joel Trudgeon 7.9 (6th), Josh Watson 5.7, Josh D’Intinosante 4.4, Hugo Bromell 4.0, Flynn Gentile 3.9
Hitouts: Cooper Keogh 37.2 (4th), Sam Grant 17.5, Will Bella 5.8, Caleb Ernst 1.6, Rhys Galvin 0.3
Clearances: Cooper Keogh 6.8, Joel Trudgeon 6.1, Flynn Gentile 5.9, Luke Bailey 5.2, Hugo Bromell 4.6
Inside-50s: Flynn Gentile 6.3 (1st), Hugo Bromell 4.9, Joel Trudgeon 4.3, Luke Bailey 4.1, Josh D’Intinosante 3.2
Rebound-50s: Donovan Toohey 5.8, Jesse Corigliano 3.9, Lachlan Walker 3.8, Rhys Galvin 3.7, Deacon Kalpakis 2.9, Ryan Sturgess 2.9
What went right: After a winless season in 2023, the Lions went within a whisker of knocking off Williamstown in Round 2 before breaking a 23-match losing streak against Collingwood in Round 4 – downing the Magpies for the first time since 2012. They went on to claim five victories in a significant improvement, winning both Battles of Bell Street (their first since 2015), downed Casey for the first time since 2014 and came from 29 points down early in the last term to knock off Port Melbourne. Young gun Flynn Gentile won his first Sullivan Medal as club champion and earned selection in the Team of the Year after being the No.1 inside-50 deliverer in the VFL.
What went wrong: There was some heartbreak early on against Williamstown in a game decided after the siren, which they possibly would have won if council works didn’t render Piranha Park out of action and send their Good Friday to Craigieburn. Star recruit Hugo Bromell’s season-ending knee injury in Round 11 and Mitch Podhajski only managing six games due to an ankle issue were significant blows.
Summary: The Lions have every reason to be happy with what they achieved while also feeling they could have done even better. They only lost to league powerhouse Williamstown after the siren with a rollicking comeback and they pushed grand finalist Southport to 11 points, while a mid-game lapse cost them against North Melbourne. But it is all part of the growth of a team who hadn’t won in 18 months before stunning Collingwood, so five wins – three of them drought breakers – and lifting their percentage from 56 to 84 is an extremely solid result. The recruiting already looks promising, so they can be confident of making further inroads next season.
Grade: 5/10