Riv football preview 2018 90dpi

SEASON 2018 LET THE BATTLE BEGIN

MARQUEE MAN AFL star Andrew Walker was the marquee signing from the off-season and Echuca got him. To work as a co-coach with Simon Maddox — and play as well.

FULL STORY INSIDE

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THE DAY THE AFL PREMIERS CAME TO TOWN

The man who used 2017 as a masterclass He is a rare bird in Tigerland. A variety that hasn’t been seen in captivity there for 36 years and then, in the 37th year — and against all expectations — Damien Hardwick guided Richmond out of the wilderness to an AFL premiership. While on a team visit to EchucaMoama last month, Hardwick talked about the A, B, C of winning a flag. It is a valuable lesson for local clubs

D

AMIEN HARDWICK is a teacher.

That’s how he views his coaching role — as a teacher.

“You’re teaching young men how to play the game a certain way and to make decisions in a certain way,” he said.

“We aren’t there to make decisions for them on the field — we are there to teach them a way of making those choices, and hoping they make them correctly.

“It’s a fundamental part of our makeup as coaches.”

There are few better teachers in the game.

Hardwick understands the game in ways many of us never will.

He’s seen the best.

He was a premiership player at Essendon and Port Adelaide, an assistant coach under Alastair Clarkson at Hawthorn when the

club saluted in 2008.

Now, he can lay claim to what no man since Tony Jewell in 1980 can — premiership coach for the Richmond Football Club.

“When Daniel Butler kicked his goal, I knew,” he said of the moment he realised his Tigers were home.

“When you get to that moment, you aren’t so much excited, you are more relieved than anything.

“Your mind goes back to the journey, that’s the part I most enjoy. You think about the people who got you there. My mind went back to guys like Chris Newman, Troy Chaplin and Brett Deledio, guys who really helped us get there.

“You look back at everything you have learnt to get you to this point.”

Hardwick has learnt a lot of lessons from his time in football.And it’shard not to look at what he learnt in 2016.

It’s hard to think about it now, but

WORDS >> FRASER WALKER-PEARCE, ANDREW JOHNSTON

Damien Hardwick, left, and Trent Cotchin share the elation — and relief — after winning the 2017 AFL premiership.

Richmond drastically underachieved between 2013 and 2015.

The Tigers finished fifth twice — 2013 and 2015, only to be eliminated in the first week of the finals.

Remember 2014, they stunned the competition by going 3–10, before winning nine straight to sneak into the finals, then being blown out of the water by Port Adelaide in an elimination final.

When you consider that Richmond had been to the finals twice between 1983 and 2012, the fact that Hardwick was under immense pressure after three years in the finals is a strange thought.

But that’s where he finished up in 2016 after his side missed the finals for the first time in four years.

To many that was unacceptable and in the old Richmond tradition, that had played such a role in the “lost years,” people wanted blood.

“Our game is a high performance industry, so when you’re not performing in the win/loss column,

you’re going to cop your fair whack.

“But it’s amazing, particularly in a coaching career that you learn more in your dark times than anywhere else.

“I learnt a great deal about myself in 2016 as a person, but more importantly I learnt what was great about me as a coach.

“It was a tough thing to go through at the time, but it’s something I needed and it played a role for us in getting us together for 2017.

“Sometimes when you have a reasonably successful period like we did, it almost paints over a few cracks. What 2016 did for us was open my eyes to things we hadn’t done properly and helped us to reassess.”

Football lessons, be it as a player, or as a coach are things you never stop learning.

And you start learning at a young age.

Hardwick played under 19s at North Melbourne under Dennis Pagan, before playing senior

PHOTOS >> LUKE HEMER, STEVE HUNTLEY, STUART WALMSLEY, AFL

football under Kevin Sheedy and Mark Williams.

He says their messages rub off on young players.

“It’s amazing how your own philosophies as a coach are influenced by those who coach you.

“Every coach, be it Sheedy, Pagan, Choco (Williams), Clarko or even my junior coaches has shaped me and who I am as a coach.

“What you learn from those people, it’s incredibly important.”

If Hardwick has learnt anything through his life in football, it’s that you never stop learning.

“Simple thing I have learnt — you’re never as good as you think you are, and things are never as bad as they seem.

“We showed how quickly you can turn things around. When you have good people around your organisation and people are enjoying the way they play their football, generally good things happen.”

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Football and Netball 2018 Page 3

STARS ARE SHINING ON ECHUCA FOOTBALL CLUB

It’s back to the future for the bottle green Geelong got Ablett Jnr back but pound for pound, in their respective competitions, Echuca has secured regional football’s marquee signing for 2018 and like the Son of God it is a prodigal son come home with a flag in mind and is determined to help his old club on and off the field in partnership with another favourite son who has also decided to come in from the cold

T

AT. Of course it had to be Tat. And the irony was not lost on them as Simon Maddox and Andrew Walker started to outline their vision for the Goulburn Valley League renaissance of Echuca Football Club.

Before Walker began his glittering career at Carlton in 2004, a losing grand final against Tatura in 2003 was the last time the pair played together.

Fifteen years later it’s déjà vu all over again — the blood brothers are reunited and they will launch their careers as Echuca’s first co-coaches in an opening round home game against Tatura.

Watching intently from the stands will be new president Ash Byrne. In 2002 he coached Echuca’s seniors to their last flag.

And he completes a triumvirate in which the club’s faithful have invested their souls to try and get the bottle green back where they believe it belongs.

The main reason this pair believed the shared coaching would work was one of them will be on the field and Maddox, wisely he believed, would be off it.

In 13 seasons at Carlton, Walker would play 202 games (the first indigenous player to reach 200 games for Carlton) and kick 139 goals.

But it would be a barren 13 seasons; Carlton has not won a flag since 1995 He played at West Preston in 2017 and will go wherever he is needed on the field at Victoria Park in 2018.

What drives them to roll the dice again is that still burning desire for a flag, to make amends for that game all those years ago and to “restore the pride in the jumper and the brand”.

A brand they are adamant is not just the football team, even the football club.

Echuca circa 2018 is a club, a whole club — football, women’s football, netball, juniors, the volunteers at the gate, the workers in Page 4 Football and Netball 2018

Co-coach Simon Maddox said he and Andrew Walker are both hungry for that elusive premiership.

Andrew Walker in the rooms after playing his 200th match with kids Leti, aged 14 mths, Cody aged 8 and Arli aged 4 with coach Brendan Bolton in the background.

Andrew Tauber/News Corp Australia

the canteen; the people in the stands.

“They all count, every one of them is as important as the next one. Seniors football might be the window dressing but at Echuca Football Netball Club we want a culture, a sense of belief, there can be no success unless we are all in it together,” Maddox said.

“We want people in the stands and around the ground watching the 18s spilling blood, then staying on to watch the reserves and seniors,” he said.

“We want our netballers to be able to turn around on the court and see a crowd of footballers, A-grade down, watching them play.

“When you can’t get a seat in the grandstand; that will tell us what we are hoping to achieve has worked.”

It might sound corny, only because in some ways it is, but there is something at play here, something about these two; more like twins than blood brothers, each able to finish the other’s sentence, both relaxed, both exuding a genuine belief a new era is about to dawn.

There’s no been there, done that

arrogance; no sense of knowing more than the next bloke, they are, Maddox explained, “two locals who grew up playing at Echuca, playing together, who love their club and their town and who have got something to offer”.

No question they have that.

Like a prodigal son Walker is coming back where it all began because of unfinished business.

Maddox never went that far away but he has a strong coaching track record on top of his own GVL playing career.

Walker is bringing with him unprecedented contacts with elite football — recently the team had a session at Carlton’s training facility with an ‘access all areas’ pass. An event the pair hope to repeat involving netball as well as football.

“It was a great day, when the boys were in the facility they could see the Carlton program up on the whiteboard and realised they were doing very similar things.

“Silvagni walked in while we were looking around and the boys got to try plenty of things, it was a great

team exercise.

“It will be something of a logistical nightmare to take a group twice the size there but we are working on it for down the track.”

Both coaches agree they had to have quite a few conversations about how intense their pre-season would be, how demanding their in-season planning, management and implementation would be.

“We spoke about the risk of trying to convert amateurs into professionals and the potential negative backlash,” Maddox said.

“We know we don’t need to overdo it, we need to be more hands off than Walks has been working with for all these years,” he said.

“There has to be a fun side, a social side, after all, this isn’t the AFL — but of course nothing is more fun than winning.”

Walker said the club is looking at the same number of non-local players this year; most of those are in Melbourne made up of people who have moved there from the twin towns and recruits.

He said because he would have to

spend regular time in Melbourne for work and other roles he would often get the chance to work with the playing group there during training.

“While I am there Simon will be here in Echuca working with the bulk of the players,” Walker said.

“We started pre-season back in December and from the first day we have put ownership to take control of the 2018 season and the club’s overall success on the players,” he said.

“We’re in a pretty good space right now as a team and club — at a recent intra-club hit out we had more than 50 players involved. We are also seeing several under 18s wanting to step up and be part of it all.”

If Maddox is old enough and wise enough to keep off the field when the season launches, a lot of people are looking sideways at Walker and his famous knee with its long-term injury, part of the reason he ended his AFL career.

But he just laughs.

His knee, Walker insists, is the least of his problems.

He said the stunning trial with

THE WALKER/MADDOX ERA DAWNS

Echuca Football Netball Club coaching appointments for 2018 season. (back row, left to right) Senior football co-coach and player Andrew Waker, development squad coach Ben Ridge, senior football co-coach Simon Maddox (middle row) under 14s coach David Bruns, under 12s coach Sam Kennedy, Under 16s coach Brendan Hogan, junior coaching coordinator Justin Hatfield, senior assistant coach Kane Morris, development squad assistant coach Trevor Borg, (front row) youth girls football coach Chris Thomas, under 12s coach Shannon Cronin, under 16s coach Craig Kirk, under 12s coach Brett Armstrong, A-grade head netball coach Gina Pearson and B Reserve netball co-coach Kelly Sutton.

the drug pentosan polysulfate sodium (commonly used to treat osteoarthritis in horses and dogs) that hadn’t been used to treat human pain until 2015 was a game changer once he teamed up with pharmaceutical company Paradigm Biopharma.

And Walker couldn’t have been more pleased with the results — the injections taking his pain levels right down.

“It was amazing. I first trialled it at the end of 2015 when my knee was at its worst,” he said.

“I’d exhausted all of my options and it was an absolute nightmare. It’s a German drug so it needed TGA approval and WADA approval being a sportsman. That was a four to five-month process to get that ticked off, but I’m really thankful I went through with it.

“Now my knee is perfect — everything around it is breaking down, mind you, but the knee itself is no problem.”

Walker struggled throughout his AFL career with osteoarthritis; had five different knee surgeries and towards the end at Carlton was having 150 ml of fluid causing the pain drained from his knee three times a week.

On the wonder drug his pain level has dropped from “10 out of 10” to a “two or three”, enough to see him play 15 games in 2017 with Northern Football League side WestPreston Lakeside (and get in the best players 10 times).

Maddox describes himself as a sponge; there has not been any one great ‘lightbulb’ moment that turned him to coaching, or into a better coach.

He said he had absorbed bits and pieces from people he played with, played for, coached alongside of and anyone else with anything to offer.

Walker, however, knows there was one moment in his playing career that bordered on an epiphany.

When Chris Judd joined Carlton from West Coast; Walker could not believe he would be lucky enough to play with him.

“I had never seen, or fully understood, what commitment to your craft meant until Chris came to Carlton,” Walker conceded.

“He simply raised the benchmark by being in the team, at a training session or on the ground for game day,” he said.

The pair became close but it would be Judd publicly shaming Walker in front of his teammates that would be pivotal in his career — and eventually

cement a close friendship.

“Chris was always honest with his opinions and advice, brutally honest, and it happened in a team session after I had stuffed up off-field.

“He turned around at the meeting and called me selfish, he said I was selfish to the club, to the jumper and to my teammates,” Walker said.

And clearly the barb still rankles.

“It hurt me because that wasn’t the real me, but more importantly I didn’t want other people to think it was.

“Once he said it I quickly got it, it held me in good stead for the rest of my career and I am thankful, grateful, for what he — and that day — did for me and he is now one of my closest friends.”

The public rebuke also paid dividends on the field.

In 2011 Walker would

kick 56 goals — a figure he had not come within coo-ee of in the previous seven seasons (and no Carlton player has kicked 50 goals since that year).

Walker said that was the lesson he and Maddox want everyone at Echuca to grasp.

You are responsible to the team, the jumper, the club — the brand.

“We want the feedback, we value it, and it is feedback that will stay within the club, and then we will move on — together.”

On Easter Saturday, March 31, Tatura comes to town and the Echuca experiment goes on show.

When all the hard work, the planning — and the dreaming — will be judged by the public, not just teammates or club members.

Game on.

THE FINISHING TOUCHES …

• • • • •

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ECHUCA FOOTBALL CLUB

So close and yet way too far away FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 1909 — 1942, 1974 NICKNAME: MURRAY BOMBERS GROUND: VICTORIA PARK OVAL COACH: SIMON MADDOX, ANDREW WALKER PRESIDENT: ASH BYRNE PREMIERSHIPS: 1977, 1979, 2001, 2002 2017 FINISH: SEVENTH

Simply the best: Simon Buckley secured his second consecutive Morrison Medal after a stirling year.

T

WO GAMES. It’s all that kept Echuca out of the 2017 finals.

To many; 2016 was a disappointing season and coach Andrew Briggs had said the goal was to win more games.

But when the year ended, they had gone backwards — from missing the finals by one game to falling two games short.

Though the season did produce a highlight for the Murray Bombers, with Simon Buckley taking his second straight Morrison Medal, an award that also netted him the 2017 Senior Sportstar award with the Riverine Herald. Buckley is back, but Briggs is not. Instead, it’s the return of two of the club’s favourite sons at the helm. The club will be coached

by Simon Maddox, returning to coaching after a year out of football; and former Carlton star Andrew Walker, returning to his childhood club for the first time since he was drafted in 2003. Walker will also put on the boots in a welcome inclusion for the side and should be a marquee player in the league with his 202 AFL games behind him.

As far as the town is concerned the Murray Bombers are back.

They’ve even been called by some as a smoky for the premiership for 2018. Maddox said it was a new opportunity for the club, which has never had co-coaches before.

“This is a new role for Andrew and me, as well as the club, so it will be good to see how we can make the most of the opportunity.

“We can’t say enough for the work Briggsy has done and we will be looking to get even further

Page 6 Football and Netball 2018

improvement out of the senior playing group with a few extra ideas we will bring with us,” he said.

The question now becomes — where do the Murray Bombers finish the season. Clearly, the goal for the year

is a finals’ berth, but with a talented list and a new direction questions need to be considered by the rest of the league about how deep into the finals this side could push.

IN: Andrew Walker, Matt Dornauf, Shaun Gannon, Luke McKenna, Thomas Monahan, Nick Sheldon, Jamarrah Firebrace, Noah Wheeler, Jack McHale OUT: Dean Haydon, Nathan Bottomley, Bart Phillips, Tyler Phillips, Elliot Stewart, Alex McCann, Jacob Barnes

ECHUCA NETBALL CLUB

Pearson & Co primed for a big 2018

Annabel Johnson was integral in her side's late charge but it wasn't enough for the Murray Bombers.

FAST FACTS >> NICKNAME: BOMBERS GROUND: VICTORIA PARK NETBALL COURTS COACH: GINA PEARSON 2017 FINISH: SIXTH

CHUCA WAS able to push into a finals’ spot for the 2017 GVL netball season.

With a 9–8–1 record in the regular season, the side clinched sixth on the ladder, an achievement in what was a stacked A-grade competition.

However, the club stumbled at the first hurdle, falling 54–60 to Shepparton United in the elimination final.

Nonetheless coach Gina Pearson said the club was happy with the way their season went none the less.

“I think we can be happy with how the results played out for us in 2017,” Pearson said.

“We are building to try and have this side be something really special, and that’s taken place over not only A-grade, but across all the grades that we have at the club.

“So to get a result like that in A-grade shows that I think we are on the right track.”

Echuca have put in a great deal

of work over the offseason, only recently putting together their final squad.

Pearson said the opportunity for any player to be available for A-grade had made the players put forward their best form early in the preparation for the season.

“We have had a really good group of girls come through over the last couple of years, we’ve been lucky that we have been able to get some girls in A-grade who are still eligible for under 17s.

“That’s what we want from our club.

We don’t just want one of our teams to be successful this season — we want all of our teams to be successful and push for premierships.

“Having a really strong club where all the girls play well not only is a good thing for our club, we want to be successful so then we can have players come through and be ready to play for our A side, it’s just good for netball at our club.”

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KYABRAM FOOTBALL CLUB Kyabram celebrate during the GVL seniors grand final between Kyabram and Shepparton.

Perfection — it’s always a pretty hard act to follow FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 1894 NICKNAME: BOMBERS GROUND: KYABRAM RECREATION RESERVE COACH: MARK SCHUMANN PRESIDENT: PETER CRUXFORD PREMIERSHIPS: 1919, 1921, 1922, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1948, 1975, 1996, 2013, 2016, 2017 FINISH 2017: PREMIERS

W

HEN THEY kick off their season against Mooroopna at Easter, it will have been 916 days since Kyabram last lost a GVL game.

The back-to-back premiers have been untouchable for two seasons.

And if it goes the way coach Paul Newman wants it to, that won’t be changing anytime soon.

“You play football to win flags,” Newman said.

“We’ve had two very good seasons and we are incredibly happy with the football that we have played in

that time.

“But that isn’t something that you can rest on, we want to continue to win games of football and we want to continue to win premierships.”

If anything for the Bombers, the goal is simply to find a way to make the team better.

So the question has to be asked — how do you get better than perfect?

“We have played some really good football during the past few years, but you can still identify things that you can continue to get better at.

“Our running and movement is one of those things.”

The club is also facing the prospect of a newer starting lineup, with a number of younger players ready to take up positions after being exposed to senior football last year.

“We were very lucky that last year we got the chance to get games into a lot of younger guys.

“They’re going to be very important to us this year as we try and compensate for some talent that has been going out the door.”

Newman says the club is tracking well towards another September tilt.

“We’ve put in the effort across the pre-season to get ourselves ready.

We are fit and firing. Obviously the thing with football is that your luck can turn and the season can change pretty quickly.

“It’s something that we have to make sure that the club is prepared as well as they can because when we play our best football, we are a premiership side and we want to be there at the pointy end again.”

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Page 8 Football and Netball 2018

KYABRAM NETBALL CLUB Brilliant partnership: Kyabram captain Lauren Pryde and playing-coach Belinda Lees enjoy the spoils of back-toback premierships.

And it’s just as hard for the netballers M

UCH LIKE the football side, Kyabram netball finds themselves in a position where there is nowhere else to go.

Undefeated.

Premiers.

Then a mass exodus.

And finally, no coach.

So the club has done what Kyabram has become quite good at in recent years — they have adapted.

At the reins of the club this year will not be a devoted full time coach — in 2018 Ky has gone outside its comfort zone and will have three coaches running the A/B group.

Captain Lauren Pryde, Holly Butler and Sharni Clark will pioneer the new era at the Bombers co-coaching the two sides.

The challenge for the club now becomes how, with so many changes in place, the side can follow up their incredible form of 2017.

The simple answer is to not overreact.

CIAVARELLA’S

Kyabram has a winning formula for how they play, one that has served them incredibly well and if anything, a new coaching system in place has the ability to improve the side.

The new mix with its heavy involvement in the B-grade system makes it more likely the club has the ability to see more players brought up to the A-grade and ready to perform at the level the club expects.

The formula doesn’t have to change that much — continuing to play the style of netball that has served the club well so far is the best way to success.

The question we will see answered throughout the season is what do the new head honchos have to add to the team’s game style — and what impact this will have on the team’s success.

If Kyabram have showed anything across both sports the past few years — it’s that success is something they do very well in Kyabram.

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ROCHESTER FOOTBALL CLUB

Tigers flying the flag for Rochester

Rochester footballer Harrison McPhee in action against Mooroopna during his second game of senior football.

FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 1913–1914, 1974 NICKNAME: TIGERS GROUND: MOON OVAL COACH: JAMES FLAHERTY PRESIDENT: MAX HAHN PREMIERSHIPS: 1914, 1992, 1999, 2008 2017 FINISH: FIFTH

R

OCHESTER FOOTBALL Club with the game plan. will carry more than the football “We have to get better in certain hopes of its town and district into areas of the game,” Flaherty said. “I season 2018. think a big one was our goal kicking.

The town has been hammered We probably didn’t put forward recently with the loss of its Murray enough scores, so we will work on Goulburn factory and the withdrawal that. of the ANZ bank.

“We have a really young group “We are a proud town, and we are running around at the moment; a a proud club,” coach James Flaherty few guys have retired so we have lost said. a fair bit of experience.

“We come from an incredibly strong “But the new kids have come out community, we all play for each firing. They’re fit, they’re working other and we all want to succeed, so incredibly hard in order to get better now we have to look at things that and they all want to give their all for we can do to deliver a premiership to the club.” our community,” he said.

Flaherty said the Tigers were still The Tigers head into 2018 with looking towards being there at the a very different lineup to what was pointy end. fielded in 2017.

“I believe this group is really strong, The club has said farewell to nine so our goal will always be to play members of their list, a list that had finals, and I think we are a real achieved well in the 2017 season. chance to do that.”

The club finished the season in fifth place, closing out with a 12–6 record before opening its finals campaign IN: Doug Wrenn, Jackson with a 42-point victory over Euroa in McEwan, Lachie Watson, Tom the elimination final, before losing to Hepburn, Lachie West, Rhys Free Shepparton by 46 in the semis.

OUT: Sam Brennan, Elliot Bowen, “We were pretty happy with the Heath Aitken, Perry Oliver, Jarod season, particularly with fielding 36 Bacon, Scott Oakley, Mitch or 37 players, had five guys play their Bright, Dillon Williams, John first game so we set ourselves up well.”

Harvey Flaherty has still identified issues

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Page 10 Football and Netball 2018

ROCHESTER NETBALL CLUB Maddy Egglestone holds up play in a 2017 game against Benalla Saints.

Rasmussen goes into the 2018 season looking for performance FAST FACTS >> NICKNAME: TIGERS GROUND: ROCHESTER RECREATIONAL RESERVE COACH: LINDA RASMUSSEN 2017 FINISH: TENTH

I

T WASN’T exactly what the club was aiming for.

Rochester netball wasn’t near its absolute best in 2017, finishing the season in 10th place with a 4–14 record.

Though, as Linda Rasmussen said, that could have been much better.

“I think we probably lost a few close games where we should have been able to get on top of them.”

“The more we work as a team, the better we get at those areas. When you’re in a very tight match, you need everyone on the same page so you can communicate well with each other and get those results.

“It’s something that we will have to work on this season, and it’s something that we have worked on already in the early stages of the year.”

Rochester will be looking to

improve on multiple areas of the game.

Rasmussen said a key to the team being successful throughout 2018 was that the group has remained together from last year.

“We haven’t lost anyone from last season,” she said.

“Putting the same group on the court consistently is a key to being able to succeed.

“There were a number of things that didn’t work out for us last year.

We as a group have come together and identified what those areas were and ways that we can change our game plan and the way that we work together on the field to get those areas under control.”

While last season was not as would have been planned, Rasmussen believed her team was still ready to

be a force in the 2018 competition.

“As a coach, you always want to win don’t you? That’s what I want out of our team. If we start to get small areas crossed off, like starting with winning those close ones, then we can begin to develop even better over the next couple of years.”

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Football and Netball 2018 Page 11

MOAMA FOOTBALL CLUB

IF THE MOUNTAIN WON’T

COME TO MOAMA…

Grigg flags the number one priority in return to Moama

Moama footballer Angus Grigg.

Angus Grigg knows his way around the football oval — a lot of football ovals — but the nomadic star centre half forward, who has played for several clubs, is coming home after a sub-par season in Melbourne and said like the rest of his former teammates that final step towards winning a grand final is what is driving all of them

D

ESPITE ALL the hullabaloo there are more homegrown stars coming back into local football than just Carlton’s Andrew Walker at Echuca.

Across the river, with far less fanfare but arguably just as much potential to make a difference, Moama is also welcoming home a favourite son.

Angus Grigg is back in black and white.

And he could not be happier to be home.

“It’s amazing the kind of impact it has on you mentally,” Grigg said.

“Knowing that I’m coming home and will be playing for the club that I grew up with and with a lot of mates that I have had for a very long time, it has me really excited to get back into football.”

Moama Football Club new signings, from left: Dougal McKinley, Jacob Keenan, Angus Grigg, Jake Chapman, Ayden Walton and Tom Campbell are getting used to their new colours.

Grigg returns to the club after a stint with Melton, a time he readily admits wasn’t the best in his career.

“I think it’s fair to say I didn’t have the best year of my career last year,” Grigg said.

“A lot of things were happening.

Our midfield group probably wasn’t at their best so when that happens, as we forwards we don’t have a great time because we aren’t getting the usage we would like.

“But it isn’t all other people, I know in myself that my form wasn’t up to standard. I wasn’t playing well at a lot of stages throughout the season, so when you aren’t playing well as a forward I think that compounds issues that are already around the club.”

But now, the move home has Grigg

everyone to be a part of the side that delivers Moama a flag.”

Grigg believed being around a group that already knows each other’s games incredibly well will make a major difference to getting off to the best start possible.

“Two years ago when I was at another club I think it took maybe five or six games to start to gel between the groups,” Grigg said.

“I think the upside of a lot of us having played football together is that we already know how to best work off each other, leading patterns and strengths of delivery, all the key things that go into being a good team.

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“I have a bit of a spring in my step when it comes to training,” Grigg said.

“Being back home and around the blokes I grew up with, it starts to mentally motivate you a bit more.

We want to succeed as a team, the boys have played finals the past few years but we lost the big one in 2015.

We still want a flag, that’s motivating

“That kind of knowledge makes a huge difference in terms of us working out quickly.”

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Football and Netball 2018

Page 39

FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 1997 NICKNAME: MAGPIES GROUND: MOAMA RECREATION RESERVE COACH: MARK LLOYD PREMIERSHIPS: 2010 PRESIDENT: DAVID GRUBB 2017 FINISH: FIFTH

M

OAMA FOOTBALL Club will look to push past last season’s fifth place and make an assault on the 2018 premiership. Grand finalists in the Murray Football League in 2015, the past two seasons have seen a third and fifth finish.

On face value, the Magpies seem to be on a downward trend but coach Mark Lloyd believes the club has made major changes to make an improvement in 2018.

“We identified a few spots we really

Page 12 Football and Netball 2018

needed to recruit in,” Lloyd said.

“We had Luke Dunham; arguably the best centre half-back in the competition, playing as a makeshift centre half-forward last season.

“Luke obviously played really well in that role, but when you have a guy who plays a certain role as well as he does, you want to keep him in that spot.”

The solution to that problem is the return of Angus Grigg.

“That’s huge for where the club is

trying to go,” Lloyd said.

“We needed a strong guy to play that position and we are confident we have that now in Gus.” Grigg, who spent 2017 at Melton, has spent a few seasons away from the club.

“I’m really happy to be home,” Grigg said of his return to the club.

“I know most of the guys, I’ve played football with most of them and you can see at training that the midfield meshes really well together.

“So that makes you feel like you’ll be able to get first use of the footy more often.”

Lloyd said the team will still have a lot of work to do through the season. “They have to commit to getting better, but I think we have a group here who want to win, you can see that in how they are training.

“If we play our best footy, we can be there at the pointy end.”

IN: Angus Grigg, Tom Campbell, Jacob Chapman, Ayden Walton, Jacob Keenan, Ben Taylor Egan, Will Jackson, Dougal McKindlay OUT: Jake Kilmartin, Jake Hare, Michael Sage, Jack McHale, Noah Wheeler, Lachlan Collins

MOAMA NETBALL CLUB Georgia Groves of Moama during the 2017 A grade netball grand final between Moama and Tongala.

Is the next prize to be perfection?

FAST FACTS >> NICKNAME: MAGPIES GROUND: MOAMA RECREATIONAL RESERVE COACH: JACQUI JAMES 2017 FINISH: PREMIERS

I

T WAS almost perfect. Moama netball was the very best team in the Murray league. The club barely lost a game on their way to a maiden premiership in the league, the team earning the Sportstar Team of the Year title.

But coach Charlotte Long won’t coach the Magpies’ title defence in 2018. Instead the club has lured Tatura best and fairest winner Jacqui James as its new coach, adding to an already dangerous arsenal of talented players. James said the club was looking forward to another tilt on the flag. “It’s very tough coming into a side that has had that kind of success,” James said. “You can see it from afar, but you really notice when you get there that the club has put a number of good things in place to get this team to the level they were at when they made a charge for the premiership.

“Hopefully, the thing I can add is a

new approach to leadership.” James has looked outside of the club to other successful organisations throughout sport for how she can continue to improve the leadership, including plans to implement a Leading Teams style system into the club, something very successful across the Australian sporting landscape. “Having a leadership team is incredibly important. I think the girls being able to put forward ideas for how to make the club better is essential.” James believed the fitness of the club was, and remained, a key to their success. “It’s the first thing that really jumped out at me when I arrived at the club; how hard the girls have worked to stay at peak fitness. That’s what separates teams who are good and teams who are great — working to be better throughout the summer so you are better when the season kicks off.”

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ECHUCA UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB

All eyes on opening round derby FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 1997 NICKNAME: EAGLES GROUND: ECHUCA SOUTH RECREATIONAL RESERVE COACH: GUY CAMPBELL PRESIDENT: IAN JOHNSON PREMIERSHIPS: 2006, 2013 2017 FINISH: SIXTH (12–6) (ELIMINATION FINAL).

T

HE SEASON cannot start soon enough for Echuca United as they look forward to facing local rivals Moama.

And Eagles head coach Guy Campbell said come the first match of the season, they will be ready.

“We’re excited, we have three practice matches before that, but come Good Friday we’ll be ready,” he said.

“It’s been a good while now and they’re a good side and there’s a lot of history between us.

“The beauty of it is that no matter where we sit on the ladder everyone really gets around the match. It’s

good in many ways.”

Campbell’s first task this year was to find a replacement captain as, in the Eagles’ final match of the year, skipper Phil Hubbard suffered a horrific knee injury.

The injury, sidelining Hubbard for 12 months, has seen Campbell name Lance Oswald as his successor to lead the line this year.

“He’ll be on the sidelines for a stint, but it’s so important to have a captain that’s still involved.

“His injury is about a 12-month recovery, so we’ll just be patient with his return. But he will still be involved with the club,”

Campbell said.

He has also set his sights on a top four spot this year, although that could change if plans do not fall into place.

“We’ll be aiming to go the next stage, we’ll want to be in the top three or four.

“But it’s one of those things you keep re-evaluating as you go — if early signs are that we’re doing well, then we’ll aim higher. If diabolical things happen then we may have to reassess that,” he said.

Recruitment has gone well too, Campbell said, which includes snaring former GVL Tongala

player Paul Kirby.

“It’s looking very good from a senior squad point of view, we’re pretty happy with how our preseason has gone so far, with our recruiting, and overall from a recruiting down to our youth coming through we feel we’re in a good position to have a crack in 2018.

“We’ve retained everyone we needed to, have a few who moved on for different reasons, but we had a good sit down after last season and looked at where we needed to bolster,” he added.

The Eagles have their next preseason match on March 30 against Moama.

IN: Robert Kirby, Bradley Anderson, Daniel Barwick, Martin Retallick, Justin Cantwell, Joshua Flight, Jeremy Hartigan, Jordan Florance, Nathan Bottomley, Dean Haydon, Leigh Sobotnicki, Wade Austin, Jordy Simmons, Stephen Kirby, Dylan Stevenson, Paul Kirby, Will O’Sullivan OUT: Rowan Priest, Duane Hueston, Hamish Cohen

ECHUCA UNITED UNVEILS

Zach Mihocek during the MFNL Seniors match between Echuca United and Finley.

ITS BLUEPRINT

James Coppock of Echcua United during the MFNL seniors match between Echuca United and Rumbalara.

Eagles will be hunting success in 2018 EAGLES ARE apex predators ; they can spot prey from as far away as 3 km and have been known to reach up to two miles away — some flying at speeds as fast as 160 km/h in pursuit of a kill.

I

N ECHUCA, Eagles have long been sighted, and recognised as having the potential to be a dangerous presence.

This season it is time for the Eagles to become the hunters and take flight.

But it might not be as easy as it seems, with Echuca United in a big period of change.

Both football and netball sides have undergone huge leadership changes in the off season, making a rebuild that much more difficult for those in charge.

The Eagles will once again strive for a year of excellence on the court and field after both the Seniors and A-grade made finals last season, only to fall before the ultimate test.

Changes have been necessary in the footy camp after captain Phil Hubbard’s sickening knee injury during last year’s elimination fi nal.

The injury will keep Hubbard sidelined for the season, with a 12-month recovery estimated.

Head coach Guy Campbell said

Hubbard will still be involved in the us, obviously after losing so many club but not to the same extent. players,” Starkey said.

“Our captain for 2018 will be Lance “I actually umpired their semi-fi Oswald, because Hubbard will nal be (loss) last year, but I believed they on the sidelines for a stint, but it’s could have gone further last year, so important to have a captain, but and this year with losing players I have him still involved. . . we’ll hope the side can be competitive against just be patient with his return,” the likes of Moama,” he said.

Campbell said.

Starkey has promoted a number Campbell aims for a top four of young players from B-grade to finish this year; an improvement the on top fl ight, as well as bringing in two their sixth-place finish last year, and new mid-courters. subsequent elimination from fi nals.

“Quite often with youth the thing “But we will assess that as the season is they’re fearless. Our main shooter goes on. If we have a diabolical start, is only young Tanner Edwards then we will have to re-evaluate and those she’s very good. She was B-grade last goals,” he said. year but in my opinion should’ve The netballers followed up a been first grade. premiership-winning 2015 with “Alana Nelson from the Horsham a semi-final berth last year, before league and Fallon Lieschke have being knocked out. moved here for work so they’ll The Eagles have brought in a new bolster our mids,” he said. head coach, only for five of last year’s But that’s the thing about starting seven to depart the club. eagles — they are born to pursue.

New coach Rohan Starkey had his They operate best during the chase, work cut out for him as he tried to before going in for the kill. fit in to the new post.

“Youth will be a big focus for

Zac Mihocek of Echuca United during the MFNL seniors match between Echuca United and Rumbalara.

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Page 14 Football and Netball 2018

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ECHUCA UNITED NETBALL CLUB

New side, new coach, good times

Jessica Davidson of Echuca United during the MFNL 17 and under netball grand final between Echuca United and Congupna.

FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 1997 NICKNAME: EAGLES GROUND: ECHUCA SOUTH RECREATIONAL RESERVE COACH: ROHAN STARKEY PREMIERSHIP: 2015 PRESIDENT: IAN JOHNSON 2017 FINISH: THIRD (14–4) (SEMI-FINAL LOSS)

E

CHUCA UNITED’S new coach Rohan Starkey had to rebuild his A-grade side after no fewer than five of last year’s starters departed in the off season.

The Eagles were only able to retain two of last year’s players (Olivia Bish and Remy Day), helped by the return of a third in Erin Delahunty — leaving Starkey with the difficult task of replacing almost an entire side.

To make matters worse, the Eagles reached last year’s semi-final, meaning there are big expectations to follow suit again this year.

“It’s a fairly new group of girls this year, most of the A-grade apart from two have moved on. So we’ve been able to move some others up from B-grade and the rest are new,” he said.

“I’m definitely up for the challenge, I’ve done it all before (with Moama).

It has been hard with the three clubs being us, the Bombers and Moama, it’s been hard to recruit, but we have got a couple of good mid courters,” he said.

Those mid-courters are Alana Nelson, recruited from the Horsham league, and Fallon Lieschke, who has moved to the area for work.

The emphasis for Starkey will be on young players stepping up into the

vacant roles.

“Erin Delahunty is back after having a baby last year, so she’ll spearhead our defence and will be crucial, and our attackers will be quite young.

“Quite often that means they’re fearless though as young players. Our main shooter is only young, Tanner Edwards, but she’s very good.

“She played B-grade last year but in my opinion should’ve been in the A-grade. I umpired their (A-grade) semi-final loss last year, and I believe they could’ve got further, but this year with losing players I hope they can be competitive,” he said.

The goal for Starkey and the Eagles this season is to make the top six and remain competitive with top sides such as Moama.

“I was with Moama last year, and they’ll be the benchmark for the competition as they haven’t lost many players.

“We’re playing them first up, so I’ll just be asking the players to play their best and be competitive, and as we go further down the season we’ll hope for bigger and better things.

“If we can push a few of those top teams I’ll be happy. Finals are in the conversation, we’ll be looking for a top six finish for sure,” he said.

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Football and Netball 2018 Page 15

TONGALA FOOTBALL CLUB Jordan Souter of Tongala during the MFNL Seniors match between Echuca United and Tongala.

Tonny gutted going towards new season

FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 2006 NICKNAME: BLUES GROUND: TONGALA RECREATIONAL RESERVE COACH: JORDAN SOUTER PRESIDENT: DARREN MALONEY PREMIERSHIPS: NIL 2017 FINISH: TENTH

T

HE 2018 season didn’t start in an where they want to have a good ideal way for Tongala. In 2017, season.” While the change at the top has the ability to throw a spanner Travis Edwards signed to coach the club for three seasons. As they started in the works for the season, Souter won’t let it change the group’s goals pre-season training, he announced to the club that he was leaving. Then, or mindset.

“We want to play finals. Obviously club best and fairest Jack Monigatti we have a lot of work to do if we was gone, headed north to the NT Thunder in the NEAFL. It’s not what want to get there, but I think that we have the ability.” Souter said that his the club would have wanted. But when your club needs you, the strong group has come back fit and firing.

“We are getting really good form out step up. And this season Jordan of all the players, everyone is putting Souter has done exactly that, taking in the hard work to put their hands the reins of the club he loves — and up for senior selection, they all want which loves him in return. to play and that’s the kind of attitude “We didn’t approach Jordan — he that you want out of the group.” came to us,” club president Darren With a young list and new coach, Maloney said.

Tongala may be one of the surprise “Obviously he put his hand up but packets of the season. he spent time before that putting his resume together and contacting people and getting the support.”

Souter was now dealing with a club IN: Hamish Cohen, Mitch who prepared to take on the season Trevaskis, Harry Speeding, Nick under a certain game plan, only for Woods, Tom Matthews, Michael everything to change in preseason Pryde, Charlie Lowe, Matt Roberson, Jamie Riedell, James training.

Humphris “It obviously wasn’t an ideal way to start off the season,” Souter said OUT: Nathan Torney, Daniel of Edwards’ departure. “But I think Gentle, Matt Rix, Jack Monigatti that’s got the group in a position

Page 16 Football and Netball 2018

TONGALA NETBALL CLUB Tracey Hughes of Tongala during the MFNL A grade netball grand final between Moama and Tongala.

Netball knocks itself into shape FAST FACTS >> NICKNAME: BLUES COACH: DYLAN NEXHIP GROUND: TONGALA NETBALL COURTS, TONGALA RECREATIONAL RESERVE 2017 FINISH: SECOND

W

HILE ALL the hype of the 2017 season centred on Moama, what can be forgotten is how good a team Tongala were.

Tongala finished the season with a 15–3 record — and second spot on the ladder.

A loss to Moama in the semi-final, followed by a victory over Deniliquin saw them advance to the grand final, where they fell to the all-conquering Moama side.

Tongala has already swung a raft of changes.

The biggest comes at the very top, with hometown hero Dylan Nexhip returning from Benalla to take up the role as coach of the side, bringing a number of new players in with him.

“It doesn’t feel like a huge move considering I’m coming back to my home club,” Nexhip said.

The thing that stands out to Nexhip immediately with his return is the family aspect of the Murray League.

“We have eight netball teams at this club; you don’t have that in the GV. With this kind of group, a lot

of players filter through, it means juniors can filter through and it also means everyone is on their toes.

“People are increasing their work ethic because they want to be one of the better players, they want to guarantee that they will be a constant in the A-grade team throughout the year.

“That’s what you want coming off a season where the club finished second, you want to see them pushing to be the very best that they can be.”

Nexhip said he wanted to see the club finally reach the mountain top.

“This group have had so much hard luck; they’ve come so close across the past five years.

“That’s a really hard thing to deal with as a player knowing that you were that close.

“So, that’s what I want from my club, I want our girls to be able to say we got there and delivered the premiership they all worked so hard for.”

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HEATHCOTE FOOTBALL CLUB Jake Condon driving the ball forward.

History

Bell ringing in the changes for 2018 FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 1967 (AS NEW CLUB) NICKNAME: SAINTS GROUND: BARRACK RESERVE OVAL COACH: LUKE BELL PRESIDENTS: JACK PAISLEY AND REBECCA DICKINSON PREMIERSHIPS: 1970, 1972, 1982, 1989, 1992, 2009, 2010 2017 FINISH: SEVENTH (4–12).

H

EATHCOTE FOOTBALL Club coach Luke Bell is confident his side is on the right track as the club aims to play finals for the first time since 2013.

“The feeling around the club has been really good, some really good numbers at training compared to last year,” Bell said.

Last season the Saints finished seventh, with four wins to their name.

It was an improvement on 2016 when the senior side only recorded one win for the year.

Bell is back for his second year at the helm while Jack Paisley and Rebecca Dickinson have been installed as joint presidents for 2018.

“Last year was a good foundation to steady the ship and build a good

Page 18 Football and Netball 2018

platform for this year,” Paisley said.

The coach has backed up that sentiment thanks to the arrival of some key recruits.

Handy talls in Damien King (Wallan) and Daniel Russell (Northern Territory Thunder) should provide headaches for opposition clubs.

“They will both play a bit of ruck and a bit of forward and give us those big options to kick to,” Bell said.

“Daniel has played the last few years at the Thunder in the NEAFL and has improved his game up there so that’s a big get for us.”

As well as King and Russell, the Saints will regain midfielders David Anderson, Blake Coyle and Marc Millard who all suffered respective

knee injuries last season.

Anderson spent 2016 with Rochester in the Goulburn Valley League, where he suffered his knee injury in the grand final against Kyabram.

Coyle is linking back up with the Saints after time with Golden Square in Bendigo and Millard will be looking to find the type of form that saw him win the Saint’s 2016 best and fairest before his knee injury ruled him out of 2017.

“Our fitness wasn’t up to scratch last year,” Bell said.

“We couldn’t really run out games and play full games of footy or go with the top teams so that is something we have tried to get back on track this year.”

Former AFL footballer Mick

McGuane is also on board as a mentor for the Saints’ coaching panel.

That panel includes reserves coaches Mick Ayres and Carl Obst and thirds coach Bob Beare. John McCarthy will be the chairman of selectors.

IN: Damien King (Wallan), Daniel Russell (Northern Territory Thunder), Daniel Anderson (injury), Blake Coyle (injury), Marc Millard (injury), Kane Walsh (Kyneton) OUT: Dylan McCutchon (South Bendigo), Jordan Tavallaro (Newbridge), Lincoln Frost (work)

The Heathcote Football Netball Club was formed early in 1967 when longtime rivals North Heathcote and Heathcote Rovers merged to become one club.

The St Kilda jumper was adopted because it retained the black and white colours of Heathcote Rovers and the red and black colours of North Heathcote.

Both North and Rovers had been successful clubs in the HDFL, winning a combined 19 premierships and, amazingly, were runners up a combined 19 times between 1922 and 1966.

The Reverend Dennis Oakley (the brother of former AFL chief Ross Oakley) was appointed the first senior coach and the seniors drew the grand final, only to be beaten in the replay by old rival Mt Pleasant.

Heathcote has won seven senior flags (1970, 1972, 1982, 1989, 1992, 2009, 2010) in the HDFL. The A-grade netball side was successful in winning the premiership in 1967. The A reserve side was premier the following year.

HEATHCOTE NETBALL CLUB

The only way is up for Saints FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 1967 (AS HEATHCOTE) NICKNAME: SAINTS GROUND: BARRACK RESERVE COACH: LORRAE CLOSTER PRESIDENTS: JACK PAISLEY AND REBECCA DICKINSON PREMIERSHIPS: 1967 2017 FINISH: NINTH (0–16).

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EW HEATHCOTE netball head coach Lorrae Closter has been handed the task of getting the side out of a rut when she was appointed the A-grade coach.

Closter played her early netball at Bacchus Marsh where she also took on a coaching role.

She then moved to Beaufort as A-grade coach and last year played at South Bendigo in the Bendigo Football Netball League where she took out the Bloods’ A-grade best and fairest award.

Closter now finds herself at the Saints who finished 2017 at the bottom of the ladder after failing to record a win all year.

Closter’s focus is on making the team more competitive this year and is looking to bring in some new players into the existing playing group.

Heathcote will play three practice matches and have a bye in round one before its first match against Colbinabbin at Barrack Reserve on April 14.

Heathcote goal attack Sam Hooke in action during a 2017 match against Mt Pleasant.

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LEITCHVILLE-GUNBOWER FOOTBALL NETBALL CLUB

Bombers ready to hit target in big game again FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 2010 NICKNAME: BOMBERS GROUND: LEITCHVILLE RECREATION RESERVE, GUNBOWER RECREATION RESERVE COACH: MICHAEL PILCHER PRESIDENT: NOEL GRUNDY PREMIERSHIPS: 2017 2017 FINISH: PREMIERS

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EITCHVILLE-GUNBOWER finally broke through last year.

In 2015 and 2016 they were grand finalists, but twice fell to North Bendigo in the grand finals.

In 2017, they got their revenge with a 26-point win.

Coach Michael Pilcher said it was a great moment “It’s been a tough couple of years for our club, but not only that, it’s been a tough couple of years for our community — for two communities really,” Pilcher said.

“We have such a strong support base so it felt pretty bad for us to not be able to deliver a flag hurt,” he said.

“So in a way when we finally got there, we were just relieved to get the flag.”

Pilcher however knows that there is Leitchville-Gunbower spearhead Matt Perri kicked 124 goals in 2017, 54 more than the next best total, and averaged 6.53 per game.

pressure on the club.

“As a coach you have to be wary of the traps of having just won,” he said.

“One of the upsides of keeping a lot of your leaders together is they continue to push the group forward and try to keep them at the top, and as a coach you love that to come from your leaders.”

The club has pushed hard to keep the list together.

Premiership captain Daniel Couwenberg, grand final best on ground Tim Lincoln, as well as century goal kicker Matt Perri all re-signed at the club.

Coach Michael Pilcher said it speaks volumes to the commitment of the players.

“These guys are very passionate about the club, so we’re really pleased

not only that they have recommitted, but also that they have recommitted so quickly. It shows how committed they are to our success.”

They have also added two guns from the Tasmanian State League, with Russell De Groot and Jack Gleeson coming across from powerhouse side Clarence.

“We are very lucky that as a club we can attract guys with that much talent, it’s very exciting for the team and the club.”

IN: Russell De Groot, Jack Gleeson, Nick McKenna OUT: Adam Decicco, Ayden Walton, Jackson McEwen, Daniel Meroli

Meg Dye of LeitchvilleGunbower during the HDFNL A Reserve netball match between Leitchville-Gunbower and Huntly.

If the boys can do it so can we I

N 2017 the boys delivered a premiership to the towns.

And that has the girls more motivated than ever.

“You always want a premiership,” coach Jordy Holman said.

“We set the goal to deliver a premiership, it’s the thing that we work towards every day in every session that we have.

“We are up against it with a side like Colbinabbin, they’re such a good side, but that also makes you want to push harder and be good enough to beat them.”

It’s a team that is somewhat different to last season.

Previous coach Jodie Lake has departed, one of a raft of changes across the side.

However, Holman isn’t worried by the new-look lineup.

“We have had a few people leave, so that means that you start by finding your boundaries again.

“We have a number of new players coming into the squad, so you have

Page 20 Football and Netball 2018

to look at how they fall into the team, as well as seeing which of your young players are going to step up and take places.

“We obviously want to play finals; that’s our first goal and our major goal for the season.

“But with how our club is currently still very young, we also look this year at improving our players and making them future stars in senior netball.”

With the season still to begin Holman said she was blown away by her club’s commitment in the offseason to being ready for the netball season.

“All the girls have come back incredibly fit, that’s the key thing for me,” Holman said.

“We are still settling on our final squad for the season, a lot of players are being looked at but we couldn’t have asked for much more from them before we came back. They’re committed to playing so we couldn’t have been happier with that.”

LOCKINGTON-BAMAWM UNITED FOOTBALL NETBALL CLUB

King Kahl is back with the Cats FAST FACTS >> NICKNAME: CATS GROUND: BURNS STREET, LOCKINGTON COACH: KAHL OLIVER PREMIERSHIPS: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 2017 FINISH: SIXTH (4–12)

Jarrod Monaghan of LBU during the HDFNL seniors match between LBU and Colbinabbin.

L

OCKINGTON-BAMAWM United’s favourite son has returned.

Kahl Oliver, who led the side to four straight flags between 2011 and 2014 has come back to his roots at Burns St after two years away.

In 2016, Oliver played his footy at Echuca United, and last year took the season off to rest and recover.

But now he is back and said he was raring to go.

“I had the year off footy for a rest after being heavily involved for the past seven years. (LBU) were looking for a coach and I sort of showed some intentions of coaching again,” Oliver said.

“I’ve had some great times out at Locky and they knew I was keen to get back in, and they offered me as a prospect,” he said.

Oliver’s goal this year for the Cats is to get more ‘local blokes’ around

Finalists in any other league

the club.

“So far with pre-season it seems to have turned around a bit, going from having about 15 to 20 guys there last year to about 30 to 40 players out on the track now,” he said.

Pleased with the club’s recruitment drive, the Cats are only three weeks away from practice matches.

“We want to be getting in the top three, that would be fantastic, but realistically we’ll be hunting for fourth or fifth.”

IN: Bart Phillips (Echuca), Tyler Phillips (Echuca), Jared Bacon (Rochester), Jeremy Mundie (Rochester), Nathan O’Brien, Fraser Monahan (Picola), Lachie Collins (Moama) OUT: Callum Buchanan, Merrick Buchanan

Jane Reid of LBU during the HDFNL A-grade netball match between LBU and Colbinabbin.

FAST FACTS >> NICKNAME: CATS GROUND: BURNS STREET, LOCKINGTON 2017 FINISH: SIXTH (7–9)

OCKINGTON-BAMAWM United is one of those teams to feel hard done by at the end of the 2017 season.

In most other leagues, a sixth-place finish in the normal season would ensure finals netball, and the (albeit unlikely) possibility of silverware coming to the club.

But not in the Heathcote and District Netball League, and not for

the Cats.

It did not help the side to lose three of the last four weekends of action (the other was a bye).

If results had been gained in those fixtures it could have been a much different scenario for the Cats.

The good news for LBU this year is the way it kicks off its new season.

Round one sees the Cats travel away to last year’s preliminary

finalists and fourth-place getters, Mt Pleasant.

The second brings third-placed Huntly to Burns St, in what will be important fixtures to get the Cats’ season up and running.

Pre-season is well under way at the Cattery, and the A-grade side has high hopes for the season ahead.

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Football and Netball 2018 Page 21

COLBINABBIN FOOTBALL NETBALL CLUB Jack Dye marks on the lead.

Football. Qualifying Final, Leitchville v Colbinabbin.

Can Colbo perform perfectly?

I T WAS yet another premiership for the town.

Since they lost the premiership in 2014, Colbinabbin have been damn near unbeatable.

And they’ve now saluted three times in a row.

This year’s side is not only planning to add a fourth consecutive premiership to

the tally, but also to complete an undefeated regular season.

The club blazed its way through the 2017 season, finishing the year with 16–0 — which all unravelled when the finals rolled around.

Possibly suffering from a state of overconfidence from their undefeated season, the club fell at the hands of White

Hills in the semifinals.

But champion teams can always overcome, and Colbinabbin did exactly that.

Though only just.

As the long season caught up to them the side managed a four goal win over Mount Pleasant to set up a rematch with White Hills, which they took by just three goals.

Brydie Lawford of Colbinabbin during the HDFNL A-grade semi final between Colbinabbin and White Hills.

Hopping mad about 2017 finish FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 1915 NICKNAME: GRASSHOPPERS PREMIERSHIPS: 1939, 1949, 1950, 1975, 1978, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008 2017 FINISH: THIRD (11–5) (SEMI-FINAL LOSS)

T

HERE WAS no prize for third place in the eyes of the Colbinabbin footy team last year.

Losing 84–100 in the first semi-final against lower placed Huntly was a sour way to end the Grasshoppers’ 2017 season.

Another sour note would have been the vast gap between third-placed

Colbinabbin and flag winners Leitchville Gunbower United.

Leitchy and minor premiers North Bendigo both finished their seasons on 60 points, after both recording 15 wins and a loss in the normal season.

Although the Grasshoppers were the next best, they were 16 points back on 44 points, with 11 wins and five losses.

Fortunately for them, they kick off season 2018 with what most would see as an easier match against last year’s eighth placed finishers Elmore.

Top goal-kicker Nick Knight (47) averaged 2.61 sixpointers per game last season and will be a top priority for the Grasshoppers to hold onto.

MATHOURA FOOTBALL CLUB Ian Fry of Picola United and Martin Retallick of Mathoura during the PDFL seniors match between Mathoura and Picola United.

Winds of change are blowing at Mathoura FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 1990 NICKNAME: TIMBERCUTTERS PREMIERSHIP: 1993 2017 FINISH: EIGHTH (2–14)

I

MPROVEMENTS WILL be needed if the Timbercutters are to make an impact on the Picola and District Football Netball League.

Starting their 2018 competition against bottom of the ladder Yarroweyah, the Timbercutters have a great opportunity to go straight to the winner’s list.

Mathoura’s first round opposition did not register a win last year, and the two games the Timbercutters did win were against Yarroweyah.

Unfortunately for the Timbercutters, week two will be an Page 22 Football and Netball 2018

unforgiving one as the side travels to last year’s minor premiers, and premiers, Tocumwal.

Tocumwal did not lose a homeand-away match last year, and then went on to win the semi and grand final.

But Mathoura is confident with its numbers growing at training each week.

The same is happening on the netball courts — which the club hopes will signify the start of a big turnaround in the league.

ELMORE FOOTBALL NETBALL CLUB

Ship looking in better shape for netballers

Elmore’s Danny Brewster trying to crash through two White Hills players.

FAST FACTS >> NICKNAME: THE BLOODS PRESIDENT: DARREN TREWICK 2017 FINISH: EIGHTH (2–14)

E

LMORE WILL be looking to push on with a much more impressive year than season 2017.

Recording just two wins — both against wooden spoon winners Heathcote — for the season, the Bloods finished eighth from a possible nine.

The side also scored the least goals, while conceding a mighty 777 in 16 league matches.

And it doesn’t get any easier for the struggling side — their first match of the New Year is against last year’s premiers Colbinabbin.

That will be followed up with the hosting of last year’s fifth-placed side LeitchvilleGunbower United at home.

But the A-graders are already well under way with preseason training and

matches scheduled.

And one of the club’s top players, Abbey Hromenko, was last month selected for a Netball Victoria academy program.

The Netball Vic Zone Academy Program provides a concurrent development opportunity for talented players, coaches, umpires and team managers, which will assist them to reach their potential.

Underwhelming season motivates Elmore in 2018 FAST FACTS >> NICKNAME: THE BLOODS PRESIDENT: DARREN TREWICK 2017 FINISH: EIGHTH (3–12)

A

FTER A less than satisfactory season last year, Elmore will look to bounce back strongly.

Finishing an underwhelming eighth in the Heathcote and District Football Netball League last year, the Bloods have a chance at redemption this year.

Elmore opens its season against last year’s semi-finalists

Colbinabbin on April 7.

The club’s trio of wins last year came against Lockington Bamawm United (sixth), White Hills (fifth), and Heathcote (seventh).

The Bloods also had a 95-all draw against bottom of the ladder Mt Pleasant.

Elmore will have a respite from terror until round seven, when the Bloods travel to

North Bendigo to face last year’s premiers.

The club will be kicking more goals and growing its ranks with its $100,000 in funding from the State Government, received last year.

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Football and Netball 2018 Page 23

PICOLA UNITED FOOTBALL NETBALL CLUB

Tom Byrnes of Picola United during the PDFL seniors match between Mathoura and Picola United.

Stunning double act sets pace for Picola United to go 1, 2 & 3 FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 1934 NICKNAME: THE BLUES PREMIERSHIPS: 1935, 1949, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1962, 1967, 2016, 2017 2017 FINISH: FIRST (15–1)

P

ICOLA UNITED has hopes of winning back-to-back-to-back premierships after last season’s heroic grand final victory.

Going 15–1 in the 2017 season the Blues went on to dismantle

Strathmerton in the first semifinal, and followed that up with an 18-point win over the Bulldogs again in the grand final.

It was an eerie case of déjà vu for the Blues, as the 2016 season played

out almost exactly the same way.

Picola had secured a 15–1 record in that regular season, before going on to defeat the Strathmerton Bulldogs in the grand final by a massive 83 points.

Alex Glanville and Emily Walker for Picola United v Tocumwal B-grade netball.

The most successful team in the league will once again be chasing silverware from round one.

But the side will have to wait one more week till first bounce than the rest of the league, as the Blues start

their campaign with a bye.

Round two will finally begin their season when they clash with 2017 finalist (after finishing fifth) Berrigan.

Netballers left singing the Blues FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 1934 NICKNAME: THE BLUES 2017 FINISH: SIXTH (7–9)

U

NFORTUNATELY FOR Picola United netballers last year the side fell to the same fate as Lockington Bamawm United.

In a league that only progresses the top five sides to finals, the Blues finished the normal season in sixth position.

Even worse luck for the Blues was that it only finished sixth because Berrigan’s points percentage was stronger than its own, meaning their season was over.

But the Blues will be back stronger than ever, and hope to follow the winning ways of the club’s top footy side, which claimed its second

Page 24 Football and Netball 2018

successive premiership last year.

When April 7 rolls around, the Blues can put their feet up or choose to watch opposition as they have the bye, prolonging its pre-season training.

The following weekend sees Picola host the side which kept them away from finals, Berrigan, in what is sure to be a tight match.

The side has won sporadic premierships throughout the years, everything from midgets all the way up to the A-grade flag, but the side will need some consistency if results are to eventuate in 2018.

ARDMONA NETBALL CLUB

Ardmona is living life on the edge I

T’S PRETTY disastrous to finish second last in a league — but doing it twice in a row is a serious challenge to overcome.

Unfortunately, that’s where Ardmona currently sits.

It is a club in absolute turmoil,

with the football side failing to field a senior team in 2017, and not looking likely in 2018.

Then the netball side enters 2018 with just one solitary win from their 2017 season.

Unfortunately for the club, this is a

slide from a two-win 2016.

It’s hard to sugarcoat this situation; Ardmona is a club in serious trouble.

And without a senior football side, the pressure falls on netball alone to shoulder that weight.

The good news is the only way is up

for the club.

With one win behind them in 2017, the club has the ability to show major improvement by just winning a couple of matches.

The fans of the club will be sure to support their girls irrelevant of

results, but those girls need to show some potential to encourage those fans or risk being absent in the future.

And for this much loved club, that just 10 years ago was a powerhouse, that’s a sad state of affairs.

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Football and Netball 2018 Page 25

AVENEL FOOTBALL NETBALL CLUB

Swans (and their list) are pumped FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 1976 NICKNAME: SWANS COACH: DON STIRLING PREMIERSHIPS: 1978, 79, 85, 86, 89, 94 2017 FINISH: FIFTH (10–6)

T

HE SWANS are back with a vengeance this year after making a swathe of signings to bolster the squad.

Aiming for its seventh premiership since joining the Kyabram and District League in the mid-1970s, the Swans have been steadily improving the playing squad.

To kick off the signings, out of Eltham comes Michael Tinkler.

A friend of midfielder Michael Morgan, Tinkler played a massive role in the Shepparton Swans 2014 premiership as a half back or midfielder in the GVFL.

He has also represented the Goulburn Valley League in interleague honours.

The Swans also announced Angus Durnan as another new signing into ‘The Nest’.

Hailing from Avondale Heights in the Essendon and District Football League the full forward can also play as a full back.

In last year’s season, where Violet Town dominated proceedings from day one, the Swans will want to bounce back and reach a lot further into this year’s competition than fifth.

It’s Nagambie or bust FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 1976 NICKNAME: SWANS 2017 FINISH: SECOND (16–2, PRELIMINARY FINAL)

A

VENEL NETBALL Club going into this season will have just one goal — beat Nagambie.

The bogey team for the Swans last year ensured Avenel did not win the flag, or even the minor premiership.

Even though both sides finished the normal season on equal points, Nagambie’s goal percentage again came into play, ensuring the title was theirs, rather than the Swans’.

Avenel claimed the second best defence in the league, conceding 538 goals in 18 matches, but took away

Page 26 Football and Netball 2018

the third best attack in the league, with 854 goals.

It will be what some will say an easy start to the season for the Swans, as they take on last year’s eighth placed Merrigum at home.

That will be followed up with a game away against MurchisonToolamba in the second round.

The Swans will have to wait until round seven to exact revenge upon Nagambie, when they host them on May 26.

GIRGARRE FOOTBALL NETBALL CLUB

Girgarre gunning for its glory days FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 1932 NICKNAME: KANGAROOS PREMIERSHIPS: 1952, 1976, 1983, 1991

W

ILL GIRGARRE be the big improver and make a serious assault on the Kyabram District Football League’s premiership this season?

That’s the burning question leading into a new season.

The Kangaroos have not played finals football since 1996 and won their last flag in 1991 but some class recruits have the club buzzing in anticipation of a big season.

Decorated Echuca United player Rowan Priest, a medallist in both

the Goulburn Valley and Murray Football Leagues, has put retirement on hold for another season to join Girgarre.

Also beefing up the Roos this season are last season’s Mathoura coach Phil Hazelman, LeitchvilleGunbower’s Matt Giorgia and Kilmore’s Mick Marrett.

Shaun Ross, a tough onballer who made a big impression at Tongala in recent seasons, played only the one game with the club last season, but has

committed for a full season along with big man Ryan Jones.

It’s little wonder Shannon Tucker, in his second year as Girgarre’s coach, is optimistic about his team’s chances this season.

But Tucker is first to admit new faces aren’t a guarantee for improvement if maximum commitment is not forthcoming from all players who will be trying to lift Girgarre to play finals this season.

Girgarre big man Ryan Jones will welcome support from a full season with Shaun Ross beside him.

Girgarre's Danielle Myers in action.

Experience strengthens netball hopes G IRGARRE WERE another club who were looking to a new start in 2017.

It did not start off as well as could be possible.

The side fell from ninth the previous year to 11th, managing just three wins from 18 games.

However, the results are not as clear cut as they appear.

The club carried just six players across from the previous season, and

will be in a position in 2018 where much of 2017’s new blood will continue to get match exposure in 2018.

The club is still extremely young, and knows that it is not an easy thing to turn over a big number of players while still getting results, so 2018 becomes a question of how much can the team improve in the short term while building for the long term.

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Football and Netball 2018 Page 27

LANCASTER FOOTBALL NETBALL CLUB

Rebuilding is a work in progress

Lancaster star Steve Thomson looks to work his way out of this tackle.

T

HERE WAS considerable change made at Lancaster during the 2016 season — and the new-look side suffered as a result.

The club fell from 10 wins and a finals’ berth to seven wins and missing the finals in 2017.

However, the club was also fielding a very new team, with multiple players joining the club for the year.

Wombats bring out the big guns FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 1932 NICKNAME: WOMBATS PREMIERSHIPS: 1932, 1980, 1981, 1988, 1992, 2001, 2011 2017 FINISH: SIXTH

L

ANCASTER WILL be under new non-playing coach Corey Carver — a club and league legend with five club best and fairest awards on his resume at Wombatland.

The Wombats always pride themselves on putting a competitive and disciplined side on the park and this season is expected to be no

Page 28 Football and Netball 2018

exception.

Mobile young Kyabram onballer Drew Barrett is a prize pick-up who should make a big impression with his major league experience while Nathan Torney, who had an impressive first season at senior level with Tongala last season, will also be a valuable recruit.

The club finished the 2017 season in sixth place, putting together a commendable 9 and 7 record which snuck the side into the finals.

Where it came up against Stanhope in the opening round and it was a brutal dismissal from the flag race, belted by 78 points.

As a result of the revamped line up it is to be expected the side would not be at the same level as it had produced in the previous season.

What this year will offer for Lancaster is another year of growth, with the opportunity for players to continue to grow as the side looks to the next few years for success.

MERRIGUM FOOTBALL NETBALL CLUB

Coaching setback offset by solid list FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 1946 NICKNAME: BULLDOGS PREMIERSHIPS: 1949, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1957, 1986, 1987, 1990, 2015 2017 FINISH: NINTH (7–10)

M

ERRIGUM HAS suffered a setback in its pre-season preparation with the resignation of coach Mick Power who has been replaced by last season’s reserves coach Steve Lawlor.

But the Bulldogs will retain most of last year’s list and are expected to again win their share of games and be one of many sides pushing for a Merrigum’s Kain Smiljanic flies high over his Stanhope opponent during the 2017 KDFNL season.

finals’ berth.

After the highs of the 2015 season, followed by the lows of finishing fifth in 2016, the Bulldogs could not bounce back last season and finished an underwhelming ninth.

Last season the side managed just seven wins from its 17 matches.

The Bulldogs will kick off season 2018 with a match against last year’s

fifth-placed Avenel on April 7.

The following weekend will see last year’s semi-finalists Stanhope travel to Merrigum for round two.

The Bulldogs have a large and fanatical supporter base, who will be hoping their beloved side can finally change the way of the wind and stop the rot before it worsens.

Allana Adams looks to pass the ball out of defence in her debut A-grade game last year.

Finals berth is Merrigum’s bare minimum FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 1946 NICKNAME: BULLDOGS 2017 FINISH: EIGHTH (8–10)

M

ERRIGUM’S NUMBER one goal for season 2018 is to make the top six.

And having missed out last year by 10 points, and with a number of close matches going the wrong way for the Bulldogs, the side will feel its goal is achievable.

The key for the side to achieve this is to ensure its number of wins exceeds the 10 losses it posted last year.

It may seem like an obvious answer, but taking a look at its results may offer a different perspective — an eight-goal loss to MurchisonToolamba, a 14-goal loss to Avenel,

an excruciating two-goal loss to Violet Town.

The Bulldogs must be able to close out a goal and take maximum points from the close ones.

If they had won those three matches last year, they would have taken sixth place and had been in the finals.

It doesn’t get any easier for the Bulldogs either, starting their season with an away match against last year’s semi-finalists Avenel.

That match is followed up by a much easier match at home against wooden spooners Longwood.

Football and Netball 2018 Page 29

NAGAMBIE FOOTBALL NETBALL CLUB

Lakers are looking for that magic three-peat

Nagambie's Sharni Lloyd starring year in goals saw her claim her fourth Warren Medal.

FAST FACTS >> NICKNAME: LAKERS PREMIERSHIPS: 1965, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1975, 1977, 1998, 1999, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2017 2017 FINISH: PREMIERS

I

T DOESN’T get much better.

Finishing second on the ladder, and then beating the side who finished on top of the ladder in the grand final — that was Nagambie football in 2017.

The side lost just three games in the regular season, finishing one game behind Violet Town for the minor premiership.

Violet Town had their number all season — two of their three losses came at their hands.

But regular season form means little when you get to the finals.

Nagambie finally broke the hoodoo with a second semifinal victory, and then backed it up with a win in the grand final.

And like that, Nagambie had won two flags in a row.

Now, the question on everyone’s lips is ‘does Nagambie have the skills and the luck to be the first team since Shepparton East won four between 1958 and 1961 to make it three in a row’?

Nagambie co-captain Anthony Haysom holds aloft the premiership cup.

Nagambie netball is a juggernaut M

UCH LIKE their footballers, Nagambie were the toast of the town in the Kyabram District Netball League in 2017.

But unlike their footballing counterparts, it always looked like the girls were going to take out top spot for the season.

Nagambie went through their 2017 season with just two hiccups, and ended with a 21 per cent gap between them and second place Avenel.

When the club got to the finals, it continued to be a breeze.

A 12-goal win over Avenel in the second semifinal saw the side straight into the grand final.

The game turned out to be the biggest challenge the club would undertake for the season, facing off with Tallygaroopna.

In a hard fought grand final, the side would claim the premiership by just two goals.

It was sweet relief after losing the 2016 grand final and now comes the challenge for the club to hold up and win back-to-back premierships.

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RUSHWORTH FOOTBALL NETBALL CLUB

Youth investment paying dividends A

COMMON occurrence in this league is that youth is constantly a part of the team.

Rushworth have continued to show this pattern, and also show the upward trend that comes with investing in a club’s youth.

In 2015, Rushworth won just the one game, before increasing that to five wins in 2016 to finish the season in 10th place.

While the position on the ladder did not change in 2017 the five wins had turned into six.

The Tigers will be looking to new coach Dave Reardon to build a brighter future for the club.

This may not seem like a giant change, but the addition of an extra win shows that club is continuing to get better — and that its investment in its youth was starting to pay dividends.

In 2018, as it will be for many clubs in this competition, there will be a chance for the youth brigade of Rushworth to show they have made even further improvements on their game from 2017 — and show that they can be even better in the future.

Reardon rushing to lift his team FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 1998 NICKNAME: TIGERS PREMIERSHIPS: 2004 2017 FINISH: TENTH

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USHWORTH WILL be looking to new coach Dave Reardon to try and lift it up the ladder this season.

The widely-travelled and experienced Reardon, who has played the majority of his football in the Echuca area, said he won’t settle for less than a finals appearance this

season but knows there is a lot of work to be done to achieve this.

As a Melbourne-based fitness coach Reardon was expected to bring some handy recruits with him but will also be focusing heavily on developing the young players in Tigerland.

It was a long and very disappointing season for Rushworth

in 2017.

The side finished the year with just three wins from their 16 games to finish the season in tenth place, not figuring into finals contention.

The Tigers will be looking to make a strong improvement, though finals seem unlikely for the upcoming season.

Crystal Pateman attempts to catch the Netball for Rushworth.

Peter Walsh MP

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Football and Netball 2018 Page 31

STANHOPE FOOTBALL NETBALL CLUB

League’s perennial bridesmaid vows to go all the way in the new season FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 1933 NICKNAME: LIONS PRESIDENT: BRENT SLOAN 2017 FINISH: THIRD (12–5) (SEMI-FINAL)

P

ERENNIAL FINALIST Stanhope is again looking to the September action under new dual coaches Rob Montgomery and Troy Auld.

After destroying Lancaster in the first elimination final last year, the

Lions lost out to Avenel in the first semi-final, ending the year’s run.

Montgomery was a premiership player with Tatura in 2012 and will be its on-field general while club stalwart Auld is back to orchestrate proceedings from the boundary line.

Stanhope always puts an emphasis on nurturing its younger players and it is confident is has the mix of players to make its presence felt again.

Long gone are the days of former Stanhope player Darryl Harrison

carrying the club to greatness, and in turn, being named the league’s best and fairest in 2003.

The Lions will have to turn elsewhere for inspiration, as the top six in last year’s competition was tightly contested.

Only eight points separated third from sixth place, and the finals were a similar scenario.

Tallygaroopna lost its elimination final by a kick, and runners-up Violet Town lost by 16 in the preliminary final.

Lions looking to uphold team honour FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 1933 NICKNAME: LIONS PRESIDENT: BRENT SLOAN 2017 FINISH: FOURTH (12–6) (SEMI-FINAL LOSS)

Stanhope players such as Grace Breen put in a considerable effort under pressure from Tallygaroopna.

Page 32 Football and Netball 2018

S

TANHOPE’S TOP netballers are on the up.

Finishing fourth in last year’s Kyabram and District Netball League, the side was unlucky not to go further into September’s finals.

Following a strong season of 12–6, the Lions crashed out of finals to Tallygaroopna by 16 points in the semi-final.

They will start the season in an easier fashion than the last ended — with a match at home against Girgarre, which finished 11th last year.

With good numbers turning up regularly to pre-season training, the netballers will feel confident going into April with the best team possible.

Stanhope as a club has always been thereabouts in the top spots of the competition, but have not been consistent enough to win the flag in the past.

If the side is to accomplish big things this year, a collective effort will have to be pulled, to ensure the club is there right at the end of September.

TALLYGAROOPNA FOOTBALL NETBALL CLUB

O’Donoghue is ready to rally Tally FAST FACTS >> NICKNAME: TALLY PREMIERSHIPS: 1963, 1971, 1973, 1974, 2005 2017 FINISH: FOURTH (11–6) (ELIMINATION FINAL)

W

ITH NEW head coach Kevin O’Donoghue at the helm, Tallygaroopna will look to push on and go deep into September.

After last year’s hard work to finish in fourth-place, the side crashed out in the elimination final just five points short of Avenel.

Tally scored the third-most number of points last year and conceded the league’s least number of points.

Tallygaroopna's Jai Simmie flies above Stanhope's Alex O'Reilly.

But the side’s three straight losses — to Stanhope, Avenel and Nagambie — in the final three rounds of the home-and-away season would prove the team’s downfall.

Tally also lost to Violet Town, as well as Avenel and Nagambie for a second time.

It will be important for the continuity of success to hold onto the side’s top goal kicker Samuel

Muggleton, who booted 39 goals in 18 matches, averaging 2.17 goals per game.

Tallygaroopna starts its season the hard way on April 7 when they travel to last year’s flag winners Nagambie.

They follow that up with a home match against semi-finalists Stanhope.

Tallygaroopna's Lisa Hueston and Nagambie's Bianca Willis do their utmost to gain possession.

Two goals too many for Tally FAST FACTS >> NICKNAME: TALLY HOME COURT: TALLYGAROOPNA RECREATIONAL RESERVE 2017 FINISH: THIRD (14–4) (GRAND FINAL LOSS)

H

IGH-SCORING Tallygaroopna is on a path to redemption after last year’s grand final two-goal loss to Nagambie.

Tally was far and away the best attacking combination of the Kyabram and District Netball League, shooting 1045 goals in 18 matches.

It also claimed the third-best defensive record in the league — but fell when glory beckoned at the final hurdle.

Following its 14 wins and four losses in the normal season, Tally cleaned up Undera by 50 goals in the preliminary final, before putting

away Avenel by a single point in the knockout semi-final.

But when it came to the grand final against top seed Nagambie, Tally fell agonisingly short — 43–45.

Not to worry however, Tally face their rivals in the very first round of competition this year.

Both footy and netball sides had successful years in the last campaign, and both will be looking to compound that success with another this time around.

In the first round of the new season, Tally face Nagambie away from home, before hosting Stanhope in round two.

Football and Netball 2018 Page 33

UNDERA FOOTBALL NETBALL CLUB

Torney turns to old Undera hands FAST FACTS >> NICKNAME: LIONS PREMIERSHIPS: 1946, 1947, 1955, 1962, 1968, 1972, 1997, 2009 2017 FINISH: TWELFTH (1–15)

U

NDERA IS another side in rebuilding mode under new coach Justin Torney, who has made it his business to try and bring back former players to make his side competitive again.

Last week the club congratulated Nathan Frizzell for being appointed the seniors’ football captain.

Joining Frizzell in the leadership squad is John Valentin as the vice

captain for season 2018.

New arrivals to the club over the summer include Rhys McKenzie, James Keeshan and Billy Westervelt, who will be looking to make an impact for the Lions.

The Lions will hope for a much better season than the last — and any more than one win will be seen as a success.

Undera has the bye in week one

of the Kyabram District Football League, but begin their campaign with the toughest of opponents in last year’s grand final winners Nagambie.

Nagambie finished second in the normal season, only to go on to defeat minor premiers Violet Town in the second semi-final, and again in the grand final.

Mikaela Thomas, like a ballet dancer, controls the ball with her fingertips during Undera's loss.

Longwood's Ricky Ahearn looks to get a handpass out as Undera's Tanner Hunter tries to tie his opponent up.

More finals on the Lions’ agenda FAST FACTS >> NICKNAME: LIONS GROUND: UNDERA RECREATIONAL RESERVE 2017 FINISH: SIXTH (10–1–7) (QUALIFYING FINAL LOSS)

A

FTER A successful season last year, Undera will be looking to reach the finals once more this time around.

The Lions secured 10 victories last year, along with a relatively uncommon draw with Ardmona 39-all.

This saw the side reach sixth comfortably ahead of Violet Town, and head to the first round of finals.

Unfortunately that is as far as the season went for the Lions, as they fell by 50 points to eventual grand final runner-up Tallygaroopna.

It will be vital for the Lions to hang

on to their seasoned defenders, as the Lions boasted one of the best stopping lines in the competition last year.

Starting this season with a bye will only prolong the Lions’ pre-season training regime, and ensure the side is ready for round two when they face Nagambie at home.

That will be no easy task however, as Nagambie won both the minor premiership and the flag last year.

With a great turnout to pre-season training so far, the Lions will once again be a force to reckon with in the KDNL.

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ECHUCA WOMEN’S FOOTBALL CLUB

Women’s team at Vic Park is the hottest new game in town

Echuca's Kiara Cooper runs full steam ahead as she tries to bypass Shepparton's Rebecca Bowles during the club's inaugural season.

FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 2016 NICKNAME: MURRAY BOMBERS GROUND: VICTORIA PARK COACH: MICK MCINNES PRESIDENT: ASH BYRNE PREMIERSHIPS: NONE 2017 FINISH: FOURTH (FIRST ELIMINATION FINAL)

E

CHUCA’S WOMEN’S footy side is raring to go for their second season, even if they’re not sure what league they are playing in.

The Northern Country Women’s League, in which Echuca competed last season, alongside Bendigo Thunder, Kyneton, North Bendigo, Kerang, Benalla Saints, Mooroopna and Shepparton was split at the end of last year, as AFL Country Victoria and AFL Goulburn Murray looked to start their own women’s competitions.

The decision to split the leagues was made 12 months ahead of schedule as the game grew in popularity faster than the expectations of both associations.

At this stage it is unclear what the name of the leagues will be, and what sides have been picked to compete in it.

Head coach Mick McInnes said it is a compliment that the decision had been made sooner than scheduled.

“There’s that much interest in the game now that they’ve decided to go ahead with it earlier, and that’s great,” he said.

The club retained senior coach McInnes, who was named the 2017 Sportstar Coach of the Year’ at the gala awards dinner in late February, due to his part in getting the Bombers’ inaugural season off the ground, as well as helping the side to the finals.

Joining McInnes as assistant coach is last year’s Bombers skipper, and current Richmond VWFL player, Kate Dixon.

“We’ve got much the same coaching

line-up as last year, with myself coaching and Kate Dixon as our assistant coach when she’s not playing for Richmond,” McInnes said.

McInnes was pleased with the first turnout to pre-season training, held on Tuesday in searing heat.

“Every year it goes on it gets better and better, even in the juniors now it’s looking good. There are a few girls who have grown up playing, and you can really tell the difference (between them and new players).

“Some of the girls have been playing for a while, and some haven’t — you can see a gap in ability, but that gap is slowly getting smaller,” he said.

The Bombers’ leadership group is yet to be chosen, and McInnes said that decision will come soon.

“That will be decided in the next couple of weeks. As for the season, we will look to get out there and post some wins on the board and have fun while we’re doing it,” he said.

McInnes said the setup is “going great right now” and encouraged any player to get in touch, or turn up to trainings on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

“If anyone is keen to play, they can get in touch with me on 0418 542 663.”

IN: Brie Gaylor (Bendigo Thunder), Sarah Goodsell, Jordyn Craft, Holly Hughes, AnneMarie Prout, Stacey Connelly, Liz Connelly, Kim Oakley, Bec Wyper OUT: Chrystal Baker, Jess Lamb, Chelsea Rowan, Bec Punny Football and Netball 2018 Page 35

FROM TENNIS COURT TO TIGERLAND AND VFL Echuca’s Kate Dixon has signed with Richmond’s VFLW team.

Kate Dixon is juggling a demanding double act with football Kate Dixon has been signed by Richmond Football Club and will play with the Tigers in their inaugural season in the 13-team VFLW competition — then hopefully the AFLW in two years. In the meantime she is moving from player to coach

K

ATE DIXON didn’t think 30 was all that old — until she arrived at Richmond Football Club where the average age of the 42 women in the club’s first female training squad is just 22.

But the Echuca Football Club star, who signed on the dotted line in late January to play VFLW with the Tigers while they await their AFL licence in 2020, is taking every step she can to make sure when the Tigers go national she will be part of the program.

Which is why she said she agreed to become assistant coach at Echuca, working alongside women’s coach Mick McInnes and helping shape the future of the women’s game locally.

“I know it might seem odd to be training and playing in Melbourne and assistant coach at home in EchucaMoama,” Dixon said.

“But I have been able to do a lot of work in the pre-season with Echuca and will be doing everything I can during the season,” she said.

And the transition from team-mate to VFLW player and coach has been almost seamless according to Dixon.

She said because she had captained the team in its inaugural 2017 season she already had a “good rapport” with the team; so suddenly being the one to run them through training, or tell them as a coach what to do in training drills and practice games.

“I have to laugh, in the Richmond squad there are only four girls older than me, and I am much older than that team average,” Dixon said.

“At Echuca we have all sorts of ages and skill levels so it is great to be able to help and watch those individuals get better every time they train.”

With only weeks left to the opening round of the VFLW — Richmond play the Western Bulldogs at their home ground on May 5 — Dixon is going flat out to make sure she makes the cut in the next few weeks.

“The intensity is amazing compared to what we had for Echuca — the drills, the contests and the running and weight training,” Dixon added.

“The players mostly have better skills, they certainly hit a lot harder, and I am already so much fitter than I have been,” she said.

Dixon was also disappointed with talk in the Melbourne media about the low scoring in women’s games.

She said she believed everyone should “just let the game play”, she said.

“People are still learning and it will get better as it goes on — the skills are already pretty good and as the fitness and strength catch up it will keep getting better.”

But if the Echuca women’s club think they’re going pretty well Dixon said Richmond chief executive Brian Gale has also joined the coaching staff for

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the women’s team.

She said he was focusing on helping the rucks and forwards with their skills and football thinking.

“It is a measure of how serious and how good Richmond is about our team that the boss turns up to help us train,” she said.

“We also had a great bonding session at Livewire Park near Lorne, and like everything Richmond does it was all about the team — the club booked the place out and it was open just for us.

“It was a fantastic day and a real success at bringing this new team closer together.”

It has been a meteoric rise for the reincarnated tennis player — 2017 was her first season of any form of football (“but I did have a lot of kick-to-kick in the backyard with dad”) when she joined Echuca Football Netball Club.

Where the writing was on the wall very early — she was named club captain and had a stellar debut season as a genuinely tough midfielder.

It might all seem like a dream run but behind the scenes Dixon, and the other 42 girls in the Richmond preseason squad, are discovering there is a lot of hard work between signing and the season’s opening game against the Western Bulldogs on May 5.

And sacrifice — since January 1 Dixon has sworn off soft drink and alcohol to give her body every chance

KATE DIXON READY TO FLY THE LOCAL FLAG to be as good as it can.

“I got a call in December after Mick (Echuca women’s coach Mick McInnes) had recommended Jodie Lake and me for a trial with Richmond at Bendigo,” Dixon said.

“That was pretty tough, it was really hot and they really worked us hard,” she said.

“From there I got the chance to go to the trials in Melbourne and from there was offered the contract.”

What most people probably don’t know was Dixon blew a knee playing hockey three years ago and it took 12 months to recover from a full reconstruction — making her rise and rise as a footballer even more impressive.

Her sporting career began on the tennis court with local coach Andrew Crossman and reached an international ranking as an under 18 and a relocation to Spain for specialist training.

But Barcelona was a long way from the Murray and the homesick teenager came back.

Which led her to the hockey pitch and touch football (she runs to Jack Eddy Oval, plays and runs home), the knee reconstruction and the football field.

“The change between Vic Park and Punt Rd is incredible, the intensity is three or four times higher — and that’s just pre-season,” Dixon said.

“Richmond has its AFL team, VFL team and now the women’s VFL team and that means a lot of scheduling to make sure everything goes like clockwork,” she said.

“The facilities are amazing — even at training we have a team doctor, physios, assistant coaches, trainers — and a personal trainer. There is the gym, a pool, ice baths, everything you could imagine.

“As Richmond players we have access all areas passes. The club is very serious about this team and giving us every support. Our coach is Tom Hunter, who was a Collingwood player before a neck injury and assistant coach Shaun Smith spends a lot of time with us.”

And a lot of time is something that has taken on a new meaning for Dixon.

Kate Dixon (best and fairest) with Leah Thompson (runner-up best and fairest).

Kate Dixon lays a tackle during a 2017 game against Mooroopna.

Dixon and Echuca Women’s Football Club coach Mick McInnes, who has recruited her as his assistant this season.

Working on a mixed farm outside Moama, she starts every day by 7 am and is already needed in Melbourne twice a week so on practice days she is up by 6 am and rarely home before midnight.

“I have to be gone by 1.30 pm on training days and I am lucky to have family and friends to support me with all the travelling,” she said.

On top of that the Tigers have the girls on strict and demanding schedules for the rest of the week.

“We have to keep food logs, sleep diaries and keep to a training schedule, much of which we have to video, and send to the club for assessment, and online training. Basically we are training five or six days a week at this stage,” Dixon said.

At just 167 cm and 74 kg Dixon said she was not the smallest player

in the team but she was now training alongside some seriously tall girls.

Apart from the work at Punt Rd she is in the gym most days in a campaign to add to her muscle mass to back up her reputation as a tough, aggressive player. The qualities she hopes will take her a long way in the game.

“The knee I did was my left one, and while I kick with both feet I am right footed, so that helps,” Dixon said.

“My range is about 40 m but my strength is I can go all day and will do anything to get my hands on the ball,” she said.

“And I love the team environment.

It’s such a radical change from tennis where you are the only one on your side of the net.

“At Echuca and now Richmond you know if you are hurting you are surrounded by people in the same state

and you get through it together.”

The VFLW contract does not come with a big signing bonus or fat salary, that’s down the track for this fledgling unit.

But nothing could dampen Dixon’s elation as she signed her name to her first player contract at Punt Rd. “Lots knew I had been offered the position but now it’s very real and as soon as I signed I could not wait to start ringing people,” she added.

But even in her elation Dixon emphasised she owed a lot, and to a lot of people.

Starting with family and friends but also to the coaches and people she has spent so much time with.

“I was coached in tennis by Andrew Crossman for 15 years and he was fantastic in so many ways, but especially in helping me with my

mental focus and strength — in tennis you can feel so alone but he was great with that,” Dixon said.

“Of course everyone at Echuca footy club.

“If they hadn’t started the women’s team none of this would have happened. Brett Stevens was behind a lot of that. And Mick for being such a good coach and for nominating me for the trials. “And Evan Catlow, who I work with, has been so helpful with the time away from the job. “There are a lot of people in country areas with the talent but if you don’t have the support network it just makes it so hard.

“I am just so lucky I have all the people around me I do.”

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Football and Netball 2018 Page 37

ECHUCA UNITED UNVEILS ITS BLUEPRINT

Eagles will be hunting success in 2018

James Coppock of Echcua United during the MFNL seniors match between Echuca United and Rumbalara.

EAGLES ARE apex predators; they can spot prey from as far away as 3 km and have been known to reach up to two miles away — some flying at speeds as fast as 160 km/h in pursuit of a kill.

I

N ECHUCA, Eagles have long been sighted, and recognised as having the potential to be a dangerous presence.

This season it is time for the Eagles to become the hunters and take flight.

But it might not be as easy as it seems, with Echuca United in a big period of change.

Both football and netball sides have undergone huge leadership changes in the off season, making a rebuild that much more difficult for those in charge.

The Eagles will once again strive for a year of excellence on the court and field after both the Seniors and A-grade made finals last season, only to fall before the ultimate test.

Changes have been necessary in the footy camp after captain Phil Hubbard’s sickening knee injury during last year’s elimination final.

The injury will keep Hubbard sidelined for the season, with a 12-month recovery estimated.

Head coach Guy Campbell said

Hubbard will still be involved in the club but not to the same extent.

“Our captain for 2018 will be Lance Oswald, because Hubbard will be on the sidelines for a stint, but it’s so important to have a captain, and have him still involved. . . we’ll just be patient with his return,” Campbell said.

Campbell aims for a top four finish this year; an improvement on their sixth-place finish last year, and subsequent elimination from finals.

“But we will assess that as the season goes on. If we have a diabolical start, then we will have to re-evaluate those goals,” he said.

The netballers followed up a premiership-winning 2015 with a semi-final berth last year, before being knocked out.

The Eagles have brought in a new head coach, only for five of last year’s starting seven to depart the club.

New coach Rohan Starkey had his work cut out for him as he tried to fit in to the new post.

“Youth will be a big focus for

us, obviously after losing so many players,” Starkey said.

“I actually umpired their semi-final (loss) last year, but I believed they could have gone further last year, but this year with losing players I hope the side can be competitive against the likes of Moama,” he said.

Starkey has promoted a number of young players from B-grade to the top flight, as well as bringing in two new mid-courters.

“Quite often with youth the thing is they’re fearless. Our main shooter is only young Tanner Edwards and she’s very good. She was B-grade last year but in my opinion should’ve been first grade.

“Alana Nelson from the Horsham league and Fallon Lieschke have moved here for work so they’ll bolster our mids,” he said.

But that’s the thing about eagles — they are born to pursue.

They operate best during the chase, before going in for the kill.

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Zac Mihocek of Echuca United during the MFNL seniors match between Echuca United and Rumbalara.

IF THE MOUNTAIN WON’T COME TO MOAMA…

Grigg flags the number one priority in return to Moama

Moama footballer Angus Grigg.

Angus Grigg knows his way around the football oval — a lot of football ovals — but the nomadic star centre half forward, who has played for several clubs, is coming home after a sub-par season in Melbourne and said like the rest of his former teammates that final step towards winning a grand final is what is driving all of them

D

ESPITE ALL the hullabaloo there are more homegrown stars coming back into local football than just Carlton’s Andrew Walker at Echuca.

Across the river, with far less fanfare but arguably just as much potential to make a difference, Moama is also welcoming home a favourite son.

Angus Grigg is back in black and white.

And he could not be happier to be home.

“It’s amazing the kind of impact it has on you mentally,” Grigg said.

“Knowing that I’m coming home and will be playing for the club that I grew up with and with a lot of mates that I have had for a very long time, it has me really excited to get back into football.”

Grigg returns to the club after a stint with Melton, a time he readily admits wasn’t the best in his career.

“I think it’s fair to say I didn’t have the best year of my career last year,” Grigg said.

“A lot of things were happening.

Our midfield group probably wasn’t at their best so when that happens, as we forwards we don’t have a great time because we aren’t getting the usage we would like.

“But it isn’t all other people, I know in myself that my form wasn’t up to standard. I wasn’t playing well at a lot of stages throughout the season, so when you aren’t playing well as a forward I think that compounds issues that are already around the club.”

But now, the move home has Grigg

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“I have a bit of a spring in my step when it comes to training,” Grigg said.

“Being back home and around the blokes I grew up with, it starts to mentally motivate you a bit more.

We want to succeed as a team, the boys have played finals the past few years but we lost the big one in 2015.

We still want a flag, that’s motivating

“I think the upside of a lot of us having played football together is that we already know how to best work off each other, leading patterns and strengths of delivery, all the key things that go into being a good team.

“That kind of knowledge makes a huge difference in terms of us working out quickly.”

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Grigg believed being around a group that already knows each other’s games incredibly well will make a major difference to getting off to the best start possible.

“Two years ago when I was at another club I think it took maybe five or six games to start to gel between the groups,” Grigg said.

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Football and Netball 2018 Page 39

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