By Tara Murray
There’s been a real positive vibe as East Sunbury has returned to the track for the Essendon District Football League division 2 pre-season.
It’s been a big off season for the Thunder with new co-coaches announced along with a number of signings headlined by former AFL star full forward Brendan Fevola.
Co-coach Justin Belleville said it had been good to hit the track.
“Before Christmas you don’t have missive numbers with cricket,” he said. “We’re still a young group and the experienced guys are good for us.
“They’ve been massive when they have got down there.”
Belleville said they’d had 60 odd players take to the track already in the pre-season.
While Belleville wasn’t there last year, he said he believes it more than what they had last off season. The club failed to win a game last year.
“It is exciting for everyone,” he said. “Everyone is doing what they can do without going over the top.
“We still need to at least win one game next season.”
Fevola is one of two former AFL players to have signed at the Thunder.
Todd Elton, who played with Richmond, will join Fevola in the forward line, giving the side a couple of good targets.
Wade Lees, who played in the Victorian Football League, has also come across. The pair are premiership players at Deer Park.
Tom George, Cooper Steenbuck, Steele Nason, Riza GashI, Jason Kelly and Sam Lockett have joined the club.
James Cree returns to the Thunder from the Sunbury Lions, while Mitch Trimboli has also crossed from the Sunbury Lions.
Belleville said they had wanted to bring local Sunbury players to the club.
He said never say never when it comes to adding more players to the squad.
Belleville said the young guys at the club were already benefiting from the experience these other guys have brought in.
“We’ve got the young guys and kids coming up,” he said. “We’ve got a good junior program and they are getting amongst it at training with those boys.”
