After a season off the field due to player shortages, East Sunbury’s senior teams will play in the Essendon District Football League again, led by an exciting new coach.
Accomplished player Aaron Kite is the club’s ticket to coming back from the brink, and East Sunbury senior teams operations manager Travis Bishop said he believes Kite is the perfect man for the job.
“He’s got great experience. He’s going to be a playing coach for us, which is an even bigger advantage,” Bishop said.
“This is the beginning of our senior team.”
In February, East Sunbury gave the “really sad” news to the players, and have powered through the 2022 season by investing its energy into the younger sides – “building up the juniors, so it’s our bloodline going into the seniors”.
“We were giving them free registration or giving them sponsored jumper to wear – things like that to really get them to buy into our club so we could have a future,” Bishop said.
“We’ve been working hard behind the scenes, interviewing some head coaches that would be the right fit for the club.”
Kite started his career representing the Victorian Metro team in the under-16s, followed by playing with the Calder Cannons where he became a TAC Cup premiership player.
He was then drafted by the Adelaide Crows, and played nearly 50 games in the SANFL between Norwood and Woodville West Torrens.
When he returned to Melbourne, he became a two time premiership player for Craigieburn. In 2016, he was an assisting backline playing coach for Craigieburn Eagles, and in 2021 an assisting forward line playing coach for Glenroy Football Club.
“Aaron Brings a fresh, energetic, and positive attitude. Along with being well prepared, he is driven, hardworking and knowledgeable,” Bishop said.
“Combined with strong leadership qualities and people skills, Aaron is an accomplished player ready to transition into the next phase of his football journey.”
East Sunbury club president Ronnie Paoly told Star Weekly in February it would be a challenging 12 months ahead of him, but he knew the club would pull through with the support of his committee behind him and his knowledge of financial management.
“The word we’re using is: excited. I’m not going to lie to you, it’s going to be a challenge, but I know we’ll pull through,” he said.
A year on, he might be proven right, at least Bishop thinks so.
“I believe having a young, energetic coach with great experience, especially winning premierships and in the AFL, that would attract a lot of players to come to our state of the art facilities,” Bishop said.
“[We have] two ovals now, a great new score board, great social rooms, I can’t see why no one would want to buy in to what we have to offer.”
