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Over the next three days we'll speak to every club about their preparations for what will be one of the biggest premiership seasons in living memory. After two years ruined by the COVID-19 pandemic, this year promises to be one of recovery as our Saturday afternoon pastime returns in 2022.
As always, if you love the game, the place to go to for your Ballarat netball and football fix is The Courier.
Today we speak to six clubs about their preparation for the new season - Ballan, Beaufort, Bungaree, Buninyong, Carngham-Linton and Clunes.
Scroll down to read about all the preparations of these six clubs and listen in to each club's coach as they talk about the season ahead exclusively with The Courier.
Ballan
Coach: Tristan Batten
Captain: Harley Bongart
Coach's comments: We've been pretty busy at the club behind the scenes. We've got new logos, new people doing social media and things like that and a lot of work has been going on with new merchandise. We're looking like we'll have an under-18s which we haven't had for a few years as well. That'll help as we haven't had a lot of players coming up. Most smaller country towns will know that if you don't have youngsters coming up, you've only got so many people who live in the town who can play reserves if you don't have those five or six young players to give you a chop out. My plan is since the start has been to try to get 10-15 guys to play regular senior footy, slowly start to win more games and attract more interest. It's ni-on impossible to get 10 senior players to come in and make a difference straight away. That's what we need, but at the moment we are getting a few guys who are mates of mates, that's how we've picked up a few along the line.
Strengths: Pace I'd say. We're young and fit. We did the 2km time trial and we had five or six guys run under seven minutes, so it's clear we're getting a lot fitter. A lot of the young players had light frames as 17 and 18-year-olds with light frames, but a lot of them are now into their third or fourth year of football and you can see it in the practice matches we've played that they are a lot stronger. You need that in the CHFL competition as it's a consistent type of football.
Most improved: I think Lachie Conlon, who had a really good year last year will be a improver. He played key position back and was giving away three to four inches every game. He's been doing running groups since the season finished last year and he's absolutely flying, so he'll play through the middle and will be a really big improver.
What to get excited about: There's a lot of young guys coming through, we've got four or five who are established senior players and now it's about that next group coming through because there's a few more who can take that next step and become solid senior players.
Beaufort
Coaches: Brendan Howard and Mitch Jenkins
Captain: Tim Haase
Coach's comment: Our biggest focus is on the improvement and development with the group we've got. It's positive we have a really high retention rate. We've only got the two outs in Jake Garvey who's gone to Southern Mallee Giants with a couple of friends and Shaun Christopher, who has moved overseas. We've had a number of new guys come in, so we think there is heaps of room for improvement within the group. We've also got a group of five juniors, who played seniors last year, coming into the senior ranks. I know everyone's main focus will be finals at this time of the year, but our goal is to look at closing the gap against those teams above us and looking for that improvement within the group. We've got seven or eight down in Melbourne. We try to develop the under-18s by having them train with the senior group on Thursday night. It's been pretty good numbers and pretty positive in the pre-season. We've got Springbank coming up and that will be a good test to see where we are at. They are always strong and always have been and will be a really good indicator to where we are at.
Strengths: I think our contested footy is the key. It's been a big one for us this pre-season and luckily we were able to pick up Daniel Jones, who been an assistant to Brendan McCartney at North Ballarat. He's managed to bring in a lot of new things to help out the group. I think a stronger midfield where we are winning more contested footy and not letting teams beat us our of the midfield where obviously a lot of games are won and lost.
Most improved: There's a couple of the young guys, Jack Peacock and Liam McLinden,, who have been at the front of the group fitness-wise. They are burning everyone when it comes to the fitness side of things and I'm sure they'll step up this year. There's also Cormack Mahoney - a good young player, tall who can play forward or back. I think his best position is down back, but we'll utilise him where he we are best suited. Those kids will be really imperative over the next few years in developing the group.
What to get excited about: Our main focus is our junior program and trying to retain those really good players that have come up as a core group. We've had the likes of Daniel Jones arrive, and Lachlan Murray and Josh McDermott returning to surround our young guys.
Bungaree
Coach: Ryan Waight
Captain: Andrew Milroy
Coach's comment: It's a bit of an unknown having played so little footy over the past two years. It's pretty much look after your own backyard and see if it's good enough. We're going okay. We've lost a few, we've picked up a few. We really needed a ruckman and we've gone and done that by getting Jaykeb Lench, which is important, we've picked up some quality mids and from there now it's just going to be improvement from within. He's played his footy at East Point, but he hasn't played a lot. He'll be really important for us. We lacked a bit of grunt around the contest last year. He's a good size, strong and will give us that presence around the stoppages which we sorely lacked last year. We've got a good crew around that 19-23-year age bracket, if we're going to go places this year, we need a lift out of those guys. I'm confident we can get it. We've had so little exposure as to know where we sit and I think everyone else is in that same boat.
Strengths: For two, three, four years now, even before my time we've been pretty good around the ground. Defensively we've been a pretty good side, and pretty good in the middle. We've been genuinely a good inside team, which helps when the grounds get slower and wetter, but we've struggled to score. That's where our improvement has to come from and we want to be a better side on the outside. I remember two games last year when we got comprehensively beaten on the outside when the weather was better and conditions were faster. We want to rectify that. That's what we've trained and that's where we get some improvement.
Most improved: I identified a bloke last year and he ended up having a pretty ordinary year and he's no longer with us so I'm a loathe to put a name forward. Let's put team effort. If there's a junior, there's Tom Elliott who has played a few practice matches for us. He's an under-18 kid who has the ability to step up and play junior footy. Playing at Bungaree his whole junior career, he's always been a big fish in a small pond. I think if he can step into a senior side, take feedback and learn. I think it'll really accelerate his football. He's one that can take a step forward in his footy.
What to get excited about: Just talking to other coaches and players not just from our league, but others as well is that 2022 is about the ability to play and that's what we're really excited about. By the look of things there will be a next week and we can see that excitement in our group and I'm sure it's the same for others as well. It's exciting to get a full year in, it's not a given anymore whereas once upon a time it was. There's some optimism around our club.
Buninyong
Coach: Shaun O'Loughlin
Captain: Jack Robinson
Coach's comment: The boys are always excited to play. We've recruited pretty well and we've planned our list pretty well, so anytime you do that you go in pretty optimistic of a really competitive season again. We've retained our list really well. We've maintained a really strong group from last season. We've been able to pick a few up and couple of guys who have come back to the club, such as Mitch and Jake Arnold. Harry Mulcahy is a top kid who has been training really well. One of the challenges we've had is working out where everyone fits because we have retained our list well.
Strengths: I think our ball movement has really improved over the past two or three years. It's something we've worked on in the time during my time coaching here and I think that'll be the thing you'll notice is that the boys will move the ball from end to end pretty well. We've put a strong focus on recruiting guys who kick the ball well and I think that's helping us play the way we want to. I think if we're playing really well, you'll see us moving the ball and transitioning it from well, that'll be a good sign.
Most improved: We've got a couple of young boys who have been training really well and have put in a good pre-season. We expect them to progress. Brothers Jack and Lachie Atkinson have trained impressively really and we expect them to develop. Jesse Marshall has also had a terrific pre-season and we think he can have a really good season too. I think the guy to really stood up the most in the is Geoff Lovett. I'm really hopefully he will have a really good season for us.
What to get excited about: I think fingers crossed we get a full season in. It's been really challenging for all clubs the last couple of years especially. I know the boys have been preparing well, so they've got their fingers crossed too. We're noticing people are returning to their home clubs. Coaching footy is a lot different now guys have learned there a lot more they can do, we're seeing a lot more working now and things like that. It's been a whole different challenge, but we're really lucky we've got a very deep list. That hopefully will stand us in good stead.
Carngham-Linton
Coach: Clayton Scoble
Captain: Wayne Bruty
Coach's comments: We're going okay, but numbers have been fluctuating a bit, which you can only put down to the COVID-19 situation. There are also a lot of young men are realising they can work in preference to footy.. We've been getting a consistent 16-18, but we've probably turned over 50-odd players throughout the pre-season. We are going to blood a lot of young boys, looking towards the future of the club. We've picked up Tynan Raven from Lake Wendouree, who will be a very handy inclusion for us. Our average age will be 22-23 years, so we're very young. I look at it that we are going to give these kids an opportunity to play senior football and hopefully build relationships and a culture. You look at the heavyweight clubs. They believe in themselves and have that sense of arrogance. You have to be confident in what you're doing and take that out on the field. When you know you can do, it's amazing what you can do as a collective. You might be three goals down with six minutes to go, but it's those clubs that always know what to do.
Strengths:Y ou've got to be realistic about things and we understand it will be a pretty challenging year, but we're going to try to have our own little wins from within and not worry about the outside noise. I could seer our defensive application wasn't great last season so we're just going to go out to make sure we defend before we attack. At the same time, I want to encourage the boys to take risks because you learn by your mistakes. By making mistakes, you become aware of your strengths and your weaknesses.
Most improved: Our core players, like Wayne Brutyy, Justin O'Brien and best and fairest Connor Maiden are stand-outs for me. I think young Josh Foley is going to be exciting for us. He's obviously got a lot to learn. He's a bit shy, but I think he'll come to age pretty quick because he knows he has to and he puts a lot of pressure on himself to do that. I look at young Lachlan Grigg too, who's always had the mindset he's not up to it, but giving him a taste of senior football he'll grow as a player and a leader.
What to get excited about: I just look at the little things first, aiming to get them right, on and off field, you get into the club. Build relationships. That's where we are at. We're all embracing it. We all know what's in front of us and it's not easy. As a committee and as a player group, junior football and netball, we're all going to get our hands dirty and work to turn this club around. I can't fault the players or the committee, they are all working incredibly hard to get it right.
Clunes
Coach: Luke Davidson
Captain: Lachie Wrigley
Coach's comment: There were some positive signs last year. We won a few more games than the previous season. We've replaced what we've lost and we've still got a couple in the works who might put us in an even better position. We've still got to win the games we won last year and hopefully a couple more to slip into the top eight. Without knowing too much about where everyone is at, I'd still see the Gordon's and Hepburn's of the world up there again; Buninyong are always good; and Rokewood-Corindhap showed a lot as well last year. We know our own capabilities. We finished 11th last year, we won the games we should have and dropped a couple we thought we were a chance of winning, so if we can turn those games around there's no reason why we cannot sneak into seventh or eighth.
Strengths: I think we can use our youthful exuberance to advantage. We've got an average age of about 24, so we'll try and play some fast footy, although the depths of Ballarat winter do not always help that. We'll try and capitalise early and then late in the year and consolidate in the middle of the year. Hopefully snag one or two from the teams above us and see how we go.
Most improved: Darcy Coon and Tom Muir both are graduates of the Clunes junior program and are now two or three years out of under-age football. Both are enjoying the environment we have been able to create and their football again. I'm really excited to see their progression as key players.
What to get excited about: I think we've got the natural improvement. Obviously we couldn't play in 2020 and then we only played 11 games so we've got three years of natural improvement out of the 20-21-year olds since the last full season we played. They are starting to hit their prime and starting to figure out their capabilities and how good they can be. That's the main thing I saw before I signed on. Being a part of the natural improvement is something we're excited for within the group.
LOOK OUT FOR PART 2 TOMORROW
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