HDFNL 2018: Lockington-Bamawn United Cats led by premiership coach

LAST YEAR: 6th – 4-12

AFTER three years of rebuilding, finals are well and truly back on the agenda for Lockington-Bamawm United.

Since winning the last of their four premierships in a row in 2014 the Cats have won just seven of 48 games over the past three seasons.

However, with the opportunity under former coach Peter Gibbs to blood plenty of youth in recent years, combined with the returns of four-time premiership players in Nathan O’Brien and Lachlan Collins, plus Jarod Bacon, who has played in three flags, the Cats are shaping as one of the season’s improvers.

As well as the trio of premiership players returning, so too is coach Kahl Oliver, who coached three of the Cats’ four flags between 2011 and 2014.

“We feel as a club we’ve got the chance to get the group back to where it belongs and it’s fair to say we’re aiming to get fourth or fifth spot and get back into the finals,” Oliver said.

“We’ve got games into young players over the past few years, which has been a bonus, and with experienced blokes who played in our successful era like Marcus Angove, Liam Main and Nathan O’Brien that is going to be really valuable for that young group.”

Nathan O'Brien, Lachlan Collins, Jarod Bacon, Jeremy Mundie, Josh Griggs, Bart Phillips, Tyler Phillips.

Meyrick Buchanan, Callum Buchanan, Darcy McCallum, Marcus Crook, David Ismail, Darcy Thompson.

Sportsbet flag odds: $14

Player points: 46

Last flag: 2014

R1: v Mount Pleasant (a)

R2: v Huntly (h)

R3: v White Hills (a)

R4: Bye

2017: 6th - 4-12

2016: 9th - 1-15

2015: 8th - 2-14

2014: 1st - 16-4

2013: 1st - 17-11