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<item>
<link>https://www.defc.com.au/news/jumper-presentation-night_117s172</link>
<title><![CDATA[Jumper Presentation Night]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Friday 10th April 

Zerbes Clubrooms
]]></description>
<content><![CDATA[Join as we present our 2026 players with their jumpers, all parents, sponsors &amp; players welcome. $15pp meals by Daniel from Vasko restaurant, drinks available at bar prices. 
]]></content>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.defc.com.au/news/jumper-presentation-night_117s172</guid>
<pubDate>31 Mar 2026 02:56:00 GMT</pubDate>
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</item>

<item>
<link>https://www.defc.com.au/news/2026-social-calendar_117s171</link>
<title><![CDATA[2026 Social Calendar]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[The 2026 Social Calendar is HERE! &#x1F525;

Lock in the dates, mark your calendars and get ready for another great year with DEFC! &#x1F499;&#x1F49B;
]]></description>
<content><![CDATA[22nd Feb - Golf Day 

28th March - Season Launch 

2nd May - Ladies Lunch 

13th June - Player Function (details to come)

12th July - Reverse Raffle 

25th July - Player Function (details to come)

22nd August - Sponsors Lunch 

2nd October - Presentation Night 
]]></content>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.defc.com.au/news/2026-social-calendar_117s171</guid>
<pubDate>19 Feb 2026 05:19:00 GMT</pubDate>
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</item>

<item>
<link>https://www.defc.com.au/news/round-15-match-review-doncaster-east-vs-balwyn_117s169</link>
<title><![CDATA[Round 15 Match Review: Doncaster East vs Balwyn]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Round 15 Results &#x1F981;
]]></description>
<content><![CDATA[Round 15 Results &#x1F981;

Seniors: 


	Goal Kickers: 
	
		J.SCHACHE - 3
		T.BELL - 3
		H.JOHNSON
		L.LOVERSO
		T.O&#39;BRIEN
		J.SHOLAKIS
	
	
	Best Players:
	
		J.DELUCA
		T.O&#39;BRIEN
		O.POLAN
		J.RANKIN
		L.LOVERSO
		H.JOHNSON
	
	


Reserves:


	Goal Kickers:
	
		E.GIOVANNUCCI
		E.HARINOS
		S.ANDERSON
		J.WHITE
		J.PHILLIPS
		R.AYOUBI
	
	
	Best Players:
	
		Z.WALSH
		E.HARINOS
		J.WHITE
		E.GIOVABBUCCI
		B.IBRAHIM
		D.OLLEY
	
	


Under 19s:


	Goal Kickers: 
	
		G.SARDELIS-3
		R.O&#39;NEILL - 2
		N.LYKOURINOS - 2
		J.MIDDLETON 
		D.KEOGH
	
	
	Best Players:
	
		T.SHEPARD
		A.KANDIL
		G.SARDELIS
		M.QUAYNOR
		J.MIDDLETON 
		A.SCARDA
	
	


Seniors - Ryan

We travelled to Balwyn Park to face the reigning premiers in what&rsquo;s always a fiery contest. With a strong side in and confidence from last week&rsquo;s win, we were up for the challenge.

The first quarter went Balwyn&rsquo;s way on the scoreboard, kicking 4 goals to our 1, though we had our chances. They edged us in clearances, but most other stats were even. A tough blow early as Hugh White went down with a shoulder injury in the first 15 minutes. 

The second quarter was all Balwyn. They led every key stat and doubled our inside 50s, piling on 6 goals to 2.

At halftime, we regrouped, identified where we were falling short, and reset.

The third quarter was a different story. We played our brand of footy, wrestled back momentum, and got on top at stoppages, resulting in 5 goals to 2.

With a sniff of a comeback in the final term, we pushed hard&mdash;but ultimately left our run too late.

Development Team - Justin

I asked the boys to use this opportunity to take a scalp and beat a very confident team and club!!!

We started really well in the first and committed to the contest really well.

2nd qtr we just dropped off a bit and played a bit basically, not looking to be courageous with the ball and simply losing structure across the ground, as we struggled to get past the halfway line a lot this qtr.

With some adjustments and a better strategy we played a solid 3rd qtr in what became a tight fought contest. We looked likely and failed to convert a few but signs were good.

With scores tied at 3qtr time our chance was now and the group fought hard again, getting plenty of looks inside 50, but the goals were hard to find.

Balwyn struggled too and I thought all day, our backs worked their asses off to defend.

In the end we lost by 2 points sadly, but again I felt our turnover was probably the difference .With the ball in hand, we need better composure to not miss easy targets in order to work the ball downfield safely.

Something to continue to get better at in the future.

Big Chris was great for us in ruck and around the ground, while both Whitey and Walshy stood up after coming back to our team this week.

As I mentioned, backs were pretty good overall. Mids fought hard all day and if forwards can focus on holding ball in more will continue to get more opportunities when they come thier way .

Heads up all as we nearly got the result against good opposition!

U19&rsquo;s - Dylan

The boys delivered a strong performance against Balwyn on Saturday. A strong first half saw us dictate the pace of the game and build a solid lead heading into the main break.

While a sluggish third quarter meant we weren&rsquo;t able to blow the game wide open, the boys showed good composure in the 4th to steady and run out comfortable winners.

Excitingly, with three rounds to go and for the first time this season, the boys sit 5th on the ladder and are firmly in control of our own destiny in the push for finals.
]]></content>
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<pubDate>06 Aug 2025 07:40:00 GMT</pubDate>
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</item>

<item>
<link>https://www.defc.com.au/news/round-14-match-review-doncaster-east-vs-mitcham_117s168</link>
<title><![CDATA[Round 14 Match Review: Doncaster East vs Mitcham]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Round 14 Results &#x1F981;
]]></description>
<content><![CDATA[Round 14 Results &#x1F981;

Seniors: 


	Goal Kickers: 
	
		J.Schache - 6
		R.Nangreave - 2 
		T. Bell - 2
		H.Johnson
		J.Papa
		L.Loverso
	
	
	Best Players:
	
		J.Schache
		L.Waddell
		J.Rankin
		J.Deluca
		J. Sholakis
		A. Ceravolo
	
	


Reserves:


	Goal Kickers:
	
		M. Guarnaccia - 2
		R. Ayoubi
		J.Keogh
		D. Olley 
		S. Anderson
	
	
	Best Players:
	
		M. Stoneham 
		C. Allison
		M . Duncan 
		S. Nitschinsk
		L. Guiney
		R. Ayoubi 
	
	


Under 19s:


	Goal Kickers: 
	
		G. Sardelis - 3
		R. Houwen - 2
		J. Middleton 
		R. O&#39;Neill
		S. Dobroff
	
	
	Best Players:
	
		J. Middleton 
		A. Scarda
		T. Smith 
		R. Houwen
		D. Keogh
		G. Sardellis
	
	


Seniors - Ryan

We travelled to take on Mitcham knowing it was a danger game, with a wild weather forecast and unpredictability in the air. Fortunately, we welcomed back some key players &ndash; complete with fresh European tans &ndash; giving the team a much-needed boost.

 

We started strongly, kicking two quick goals into the breeze. Mitcham responded well, evening up most of the key stats, but we went into quarter-time with a 1-goal lead.

 

The second quarter was all ours. Larry and Hugh J combined to dominate the ruck, winning hit outs 23&ndash;9, while the midfield took control of the clearances 18&ndash;10. Up forward, Schache was on fire with three majors, and Taylin anchored the backline with composure. We went into the main break five goals up and full of momentum.

 

In the third quarter, Mitcham made the most of the wind and a lapse in our intensity, clawing their way back into the contest by kicking three goals to our one.

 

The final term was a more even battle, but our first-half dominance proved decisive. We held firm and secured a solid two-goal win. Schache finished with an impressive six goals, while both captains &ndash; Taylin and Jack &ndash; led from the front. Tay was solid in defence, collecting 26 touches, and it was fantastic to have Josh Deluca back in the side, finishing with a game-high 29 disposals.

 

Development Team - Justin

A fighting win by the development team that builds a solid foundation for the coming weeks &hellip;

In front all day after a solid first half, with all players locked in to a defensive team oriented work ethic.

Inspired by the 3 strong ins of Mitch Duncan, Mitch Stoneham and Chris Allison, others followed and played strong .

To the oppositions credit they came at us strongly in the 3rd qtr with us only scoring the solitary point with a 3 goal breeze!!!

We were up by 1 goal&hellip;.

I challenged the boys to simply be better for longer and respond in the last through outnumbered ball movement and run into the wind, as this was the only way we were winning. We had to find something and did!!!

It was a great final qtr as we lifted and showed we are more than capable of winning more games this season&hellip;.

Well done lads and well done by all 3 teams,happy days

U19&rsquo;s - Dylan

After being beaten by Mitcham in our previous encounter, the boys came out with a point to prove. We started well and were able to take some of the ascendency developed in the first quarter, into the second - with the boys putting together a powerful quarter which was up there with our best of the year. This came on the back of great energy, and pressure. The second half was a good test of character, as a few injuries left us with no players remaining on the bench. Despite this, the boys showed great grit and resilience to run the game out convincing winners.
]]></content>
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<pubDate>30 Jul 2025 01:27:00 GMT</pubDate>
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</item>

<item>
<link>https://www.defc.com.au/news/round-13-match-review-doncaster-east-vs-east-ringwood_117s167</link>
<title><![CDATA[Round 13 Match Review: Doncaster East vs East Ringwood]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Round 13 Results &#x1F981;

Congratualtions to Aaron &ldquo;Cera&rdquo; Ceravelo celebrating his 150th game. 
]]></description>
<content><![CDATA[Round 13 Results &#x1F981;

Seniors: 


	Goal Kickers: 
	
		J.Schache - 2
		D. Scala 
		R. Nangreave
	
	
	Best Players:
	
		Jack Sholakis
		Lachlan Waddell
		Taylin Duman
		Jay Rankin
		Lachlan O&rsquo;Connell
		Oliver Polan
	
	


Reserves:


	Goal Kickers:
	
		R.Ayoubi 
		E. Harinos 
		C. Nohra 
	
	
	Best Players:
	
		P. Corso
		L.Keogh
		A. Reynolds
		E. Harinos 
		S. Nitschinsk
		A. Scarda 
	
	


Under 19s:


	Goal Kickers: 
	
		M. Roumeliotis
		G. Sardelis 
		M. Quaynor 
	
	
	Best Players:
	
		N. Harrington
		D. Keogh 
		C. McKenzie 
		A. Scarda 
		R. Houwen 
		T. Smith
	
	


Seniors - Ryan

Round 13 saw us take on ladder leaders East Ringwood with an incredibly young side due to a long list of outs. We welcomed another debutant in Rhys, alongside Sam, Ollie and Riley from our Under 19s. The boys were fired up to be back on home turf and had some extra motivation, with club legend Aaron &ldquo;Cera&rdquo; Ceravelo celebrating his 150th game.

We came out firing, producing arguably our best opening quarter of the season. Larry continued his ruck dominance, winning the hit-outs 23&ndash;11, which gave our midfielders first use and allowed us to control the clearances 18&ndash;9. That dominance translated into forward opportunities, and we headed into quarter-time with a 4-goal to 2 lead.

The second quarter was a tight contest. While we continued to lead most of the key stats, we couldn&rsquo;t capitalise on the scoreboard, kicking 3 behinds to East Ringwood&rsquo;s 1 goal. We held a narrow lead heading into the main break.

The third term played out much the same. We had 77 disposals to their 56, but ER began to claw their way back into the clearances and create more inside-50 entries. Again, our inaccuracy cost us, scoring another 3 behinds to their 2 goals. Scores were level at 4.8 to 5.2.

In the final quarter, East Ringwood showed why they&rsquo;re sitting on top of the ladder. They levelled up across the key stats and doubled our inside 50s, which gave them the momentum to pull away and take the win.

It was a strong and courageous effort from such a young side. Now, we turn our attention to a must-win clash against Mitcham to keep our top 5 hopes alive!

Development Team - Justin

Rd 13 v East Ringwood was always going to be an uphill battle with many players out at senior level and a few from development.

Last game we lost by 125 points so a positive with a lesser  loss, being a 70 point defeat.

Credit to the boys they cracked in early and in the first half competed well 

Our effort I feel continued across the board and it was only thier size and level of depth that found us wanting at games end &hellip;

As a coach you simply want to see effort and a commitment to work hard within the contest. And to the boys credit,including 5 u/19 lads doubling up we played hard when needed.

These situations simply gives us all an opportunity to see what level of resilience the players have. 

This group will continue to be better for these games and the experiences of this tough season&hellip;.

Future remains bright for many and over the next few weeks we are more than capable of getting a few much wanted Ws!!!

U19&rsquo;s - Dylan

On Saturday, we hosted a strong East Ringwood side and got off to a solid start. Despite not capitalising on some early opportunities, we felt on top at quarter time. Unfortunately, a few undisciplined moments shifted momentum and saw us trailing by 17 points at the main break.

We responded well in the third quarter, where we were able to play most of the quarter in our fwd half. However, our inability to execute the final kick going inside 50 meant we couldn&rsquo;t convert that territory dominance into scoreboard pressure and still trailed heading into the last change.

With the game on the line and kicking into the breeze in the final term, the boys took some risks with ball in hand. Unfortunately, those risks didn&rsquo;t come off, and East Ringwood were able to capitalise on our turnovers and run out comfortable winners.

While the result was disappointing, there were some valuable lessons learned. The positive is that our season remains alive if we can take those lessons on board for the remaining 5 games.

We now shift our focus to Mitcham this week, who got the better of us earlier in the season. We&rsquo;re looking forward to the challenge and the opportunity to bounce back.
]]></content>
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<pubDate>23 Jul 2025 23:17:00 GMT</pubDate>
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</item>

<item>
<link>https://www.defc.com.au/news/round-12-match-review-doncaster-east-vs-south-croydon_117s88</link>
<title><![CDATA[Round 12 Match Review: Doncaster East vs South Croydon]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Round 12 Results &#x1F981;

Huge congratulations to our U19s team for their victory over the weekend &#x1F525;
]]></description>
<content><![CDATA[Round 12 Results &#x1F981;

Huge congratulations to our U19s team for their victory over the weekend &#x1F525;

Seniors: 


	Goal Kickers
	
		J.Sholakis - 2
		D.Scala - 2
		H. White - 2
		T. Bell - 2 
		J. Schache - 2 
		J. Rankin 
		J. Papa 
		Z. Walsh 
		T. O&#39;Brien
	
	
	Best Players
	
		J. Papa
		L. Waddell 
		J. Sholakis
		M.Hoskin
		L. Quaynor 
		J. Rankin
	
	


Reserves 


	Goal Kickers 
	
		C. Nohra
		J. Young
		L. Keogh
		K. Latu-Green 
		S. Spadafora 
		R. O&#39;Neill
		L. O&#39;Connell
	
	
	Best Players 
	
		L.Keogh
		J. Drayton 
		C. Allison 
		P. Corso 
		L. O&#39;Connell
		C. Nohra 
	
	


Under 19s 


	Goal Kickers 
	
		A. Scarda - 3 
		G. Sardelis - 2 
		R. Nangreave - 2 
		O. Polan - 2 
		T. Adgemis - 2 
		C. Nangreave
		E. Higgins 
	
	
	Best Players 
	
		S. Martin
		M.Quaynor 
		A. Scarda 
		T. Smith 
		R. Nangreave
		G. Sardelis 
	
	


U19&rsquo;s - Dylan

The U19s had a slow start against South Croydon, serving as a valuable reminder that if we do not bring the right mindset to games early, we can be vulnerable. 

Despite a poor first half, it was great to see the group respond after halftime, with a powerful five-goal-to-one last quarter allowing us to run out winners. The win puts us % out of 5th spot and sets up a huge match against East Ringwood next weekend. 

Development Team - Justin

With both sides quite even, I was hopeful our boys would come to play to get the result we want and move on &hellip;

Unfortunately 3 outs before the game meant a chop out from several of our u/19 boys&hellip;..and to their credit they were fantastic after backing up, and served us well with thier contest and all round effort. In fact it was made aware that our 2s boys needed to get better, as across the board, many lacked the effort we require in the first half.

Down by 4 goals at half time we definitely responded and finally competed at the level required. 

Our mids stepped up and lead by example while both forward and backline thankfully provided a competitive edge which dragged us back into the game down by a few kickstarters at the last break.

Unfortunately it was an even battle in the last losing by 16 points.

We now turn our attention to a massive clash this weekend against ladder leaders East Ringwood. Let&rsquo;s get around the boys and pack the boundary with as much support as we can!

Coaching wise was a tough day to find standout players across the board 

I think most players know and understand how they perform and as part of thier development they assess where they are at,work on improving individually and most importantly understand it&rsquo;s our skills that regularly let us down with ball in hand.

Independently we all must make a concerted effort to work hard in this part of our game as only then will we consistently start winning games we are expected to win.

Seniors - Ryan

Well, what a difference a week in footy makes!

We suffered a disappointing away loss to South Croydon, who are always tough to beat at the Kennel. Like us last week, South had their past players&rsquo; day, adding a bit of extra motivation to their effort.

The first half was a tight contest, with both sides fairly even across the key stats. We edged them in inside 50s (25-20), but their superior tackling pressure affected the quality of our forward entries and made life difficult for Josh at full forward. We also lost Tim to a hamstring injury just 15 minutes into the game, costing us a rotation and a key target up front. We went into the main break trailing by just one point.

The third quarter proved to be the turning point. Despite winning the inside 50 count again, we struggled to convert our chances. South made the most of their opportunities, piling on 7 goals to our 2.

We finished strong and took out the final quarter, but the damage was done. We won nearly every major stat - except the one that matters most. Final margin: a 4-goal loss.

 
]]></content>
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<pubDate>16 Jul 2025 06:51:00 GMT</pubDate>
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