FINALS aspirants North Bendigo and Huntly will look to set the tone for a successful season ahead when they clash at Atkins Street on Saturday.
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While the Bulldogs have not contested a final series since 2016 and the Hawks have been finalists for three-straight years, the two clubs have managed to play out some thrilling encounters over the past three seasons, particularly early in the year.
Early indications point to another intriguing encounter.
The Bulldogs will start the season with a new coach in midcourter Lara Daly and plenty of fresh faces, headed by their new goaling tandem of Imogen Davies and Delainey Holmes, who have both come across from BFNL club Eaglehawk.
A regular fixture in A-grade in recent seasons, Rhiana Broadbent said the return to netball after a season without in 2020 due to COVID had added to the enthusiasm generated by a handy pre-season on the recruiting front at North Bendigo.
"Our side this year is full of young talent and we are all fit," she said.
"A lot of the girls worked really hard over ISO on their fitness, so we're really champing at the bit to get going.
"Imogen and Delainey are a dynamic duo - they're best friends and house-mates. They've come across together and have a really good connection with one another.
"That's what we may have missed a bit in the past, that group connection and coming together to play for one another, rather than just going out on the court with the high expectations of just winning.
"We're excited to see those two girls in action together."
Broadbent, who will again be joined at the defensive end of the court by Meg McGlone, was full of praise for the early impact new coach Daly has had on the playing group and wider club.
"Obviously coming out of COVID it was really hard to get momentum and I think having Lara step in as a fresh coach has really helped," she said.
"She has brought so much enthusiasm and hype and has a real desire for us to do well.
"We lost El (Findlay) and we lost Britt (Shannon), so we lost a lot of our coaching panel and our leaders, so to have her come in as a coach has been great.
"She's also taken on the secretary position at the club, so she is heavily involved and has helped make some really good changes throughout our club on the netball side of things."
Following three-straight finals appearances, but being unable to advance past the semi-final stage, Huntly's Ash Jenkyn hopes this is the year the Hawks can climb into the top three and challenge for a grand final berth.
"We're very excited, a lot of us have done a lot in the off-season to get fit and ready for this season," she said.
"We've had a few new faces come in, Sophie Disher, Taylah Sartori and Kate Cleary, and they have fit in where we've lost a few girls in the midcourt and in goals.
"It's nice to have some new options in our goal circle."
One player who won't be suiting up for the Hawks this season will be their ever-consistent midcourter Kym Bell, who has retired from playing and has joined the coaching panel.
Jenkyn said she would be sorely missed out on the court, but thankfully not from around the club.
"She's a huge loss and it's really sad that back in 2019 we never knew we were going to be playing our last game with Kym, thinking we'd have her last season when we didn't get a season," she said.
"It was pretty upsetting for some of us as we loved playing with Kym.
"But it will be great to have her coaching at Huntly and bringing through the juniors. She's coaching A-res, but the team has a lot of juniors."
The Hawks will again be coached by Emily Eliades, who is into her fifth year at the helm.
In other games, Elmore, fresh from a stirring opening game win against reigning premiers White Hills, clashes with last season's other grand finalist Colbinabbin, the new coaching duo of Ashley Bradley and Kate Donehue makes its debut for Leitchville-Gunbower against White Hills, and Heathcote hosts Lockington-Bamawm United.
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