2021 season comes to an end for the Dragons
By Marcus Uhe
The Dragons’ season is over after the AFL cancelled the end of the NAB League season for metropolitan Melbourne clubs on Friday, due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation.
National Championship games involving Vic Metro and Vic Country teams will also not take place.
The AFL is hopeful that games can be scheduled for NAB League clubs in regional Victoria, should restrictions on community sport be eased, according to AFL.com.au.
The AFL's head of talent pathways and state league competitions Tristan Salter told AFL Media that the cancellation was disappointing for all involved.
"All levels of the game across Australia have been impacted by the health pandemic this year and it has been another challenging year for everyone connected to football. These players represent the future of Australian football and like all footy fans, we're disappointed we can’t host the best football talent in Melbourne this year," he said.
"We share the disappointment with all players, coaches, officials, volunteers and fans of the NAB AFL Championships and recognise the impact the interrupted seasons has had on boys and their families. We remain committed to supporting all players in the lead-up to the 2021 NAB AFL Draft and in their football journeys in 2022."
Whilst it’s not the way we wanted the season to come to an end, we can still reflect on a number of positives from 2021.
Should no further games take place in regional Victoria, we will finish the season a game clear of second place on-top of the ladder, with eight wins from nine matches and a percentage of 188.62.
Jacob Edwards and Max Heath were drafted by North Melbourne and St Kilda, respectively, in the 2021 Mid-Season Draft.
10 of our players were selected to represent their regions in the 2021 National Carnival. Eight were chosen for Vic Metro, one for Vic Country and one for the Allies.
We will have seven (Finn Callaghan, Campbell Chesser, Blake Howes, Mitch Owens, Josh Sinn, Dante Visentini and Marcus Windhager) attend the Victorian component of the Draft Combine in October, the second-most from any NAB League club.
Darby Hipwell, Logan Young and Felix Flockart became regular contributors at VFL level during the middle of the season.
And Eren Soylemez finished the year as league-leading goalkicker, with 19 goals from nine games, kicking three on four separate occasions.
We would like to thank and congratulate everyone involved at the club, including players, parents, staff, volunteers and officials for their contributions this season. Please follow the health advice, get vaccinated and stay safe as we navigate this difficult period.