The Western Eagles couldn’t be happier with the FV state league 3 north-west pre-season so far.
After finishing ninth last season, the Eagles have a renewed focus under new coach Paul Falzon.
Falzon, who comes across from Keilor Park, said it had been a really exciting off season.
“We as a club could not be happier with the start of preseason so far,” he said.
“We have a new coaching team for our senior and reserve squads.
“We have players with plenty of experience at a higher level.
“The number of players that have attended preseason has been amazing for both the senior and reserve teams.”
The Eagles list from last season has seen a fair bit of turnover, with 10 new players joining the squad, bringing with them plenty of experience.
Falzon said last season they had the squad to challenge the best sides in the competition but were decimated by injuries.
“Our squad list looks exciting for the season ahead with a blend of senior experience and a youthful exuberance to compliment each other,” he said.
“We have added several players that played state [league] 1 over the last few seasons that have jumped on board for the exciting challenge ahead.
“We have also picked up several young enthusiastic players from the NPL system that are craving some senior experience.”
Falzon said he was really looking forward to watching the squad grow as a team and develop.
He said he was expecting them to play an exciting brand of soccer.
“Our expectations are to be challenging for the three points every game and we believe our squad will be very competitive in every department,” he said.
“We know there will be some teams that will be strong and look to dominate the league. If we are able keep all our players fit I believe we should be right in the mix at the end of the season.
The Eagles were set to play their first official match on Saturday in the Australia Cup.
The Eagles, who had a bye in the first round, faced Sebastopol Vikings, losing 1-0.
Falzon said the cup games are great for their fans and club, but the coaching focus is all about the season ahead.”
