There will be excitement. There will be disappointment.

Most of all there will the challenge of doing your best – on and off the field and court.

At the end of the day that is all anyone can strive and hope for. Where this takes you, well that remains to be seen.

Right now though, everyone cannot wait to get on with the job after another testing preseason.

Once again the big change is the continued growth in football for females - of all ages.

In a major statewide change, the Victorian Women’s Football League has been restructured and now features four divisions.

North Ballarat Eagles have gone, replaced by Redan and Golden Point as Ballarat’s women’s football flagships and a pathway for youngsters taking on the game.

With Ballarat Football League’s youth girls’ competition continuing to expand, this pathway is essential and there is no doubt there will be more senior women’s teams down the track.

The Ballarat and Central Highlands football leagues continue to prosper with recruiting in the CHFL, in particular, going to new heights with the addition of AFL and VFL experienced players.

It all points to another exciting year for Australian Rules in the Goldfields region.