LVFNL season preview: Newbridge

Sam Gale and Daniel Smith have taken on a co-coaching role with a Maroons' side that finished seventh last year with five wins.

Gale, a premiership player with Harcourt last year, will be a playing coach, while Smith, a two-time premiership coach with Harcourt, will run things from the boundary line.

"It's collaborative. We're working closely together,'' Smith said of the co-coaching roles.

"Sam and I developed a good relationship through Harcourt Football Club for many years and we work well in tandem.

"We don't always agree, and that's a good thing. We're quite motivated coaches and quite positive and we demand the best out of the players.

"Sam (a forward/midfielder) has had a good pre-season. His hamstrings have troubled him the past couple of years, but he's trained well through the pre-season and I think coming to a new league and club has freshened him up."

The highlight of the Maroons' recruiting campaign was some key position talent.

The experienced David Romer, who has played in the BFNL and LVFNL, can play at either end of the ground, while Angus Fortune returns for another stint with the Maroons.

They've also picked up Dom Makur - a key defender from Central Highlands club Clunes.

Matt Giri and Dylan Stevens add some punch to the midfield mix.

"It's been a good pre-season and we feel as though we've recruited well across the three lines - forward, midfield and backline,'' Smith said.

"We feel as though inside ball winners will be a real strength for us.

"We have quite a bit of tall talent, so we expect to contest well in the air."

Smith said a jump from seventh to the finals was not out of the question for the Maroons.

"We had our first hit-out against Natte Bealiba last week and you could see some of the things that we've been working on come together,'' Smith said.

READ MORE: Inglewood season preview

"(With such a new group) it might take us a little bit of time for us to gel, but we're already seeing some positive signs.

"We'll gradually build momentum and get stronger as the year goes on.

"We want to play finals football. We know Marong and Pyramid Hill will be the benchmark, but we'll be doing what we can to put them under the pump."

A finals appearance would be a worthy reward for a club that is still recovering from flooding in October.

The Maroons haven't been able to train at the ground all summer.

"We've been overwhelmed by the respect and dedication of the football/netball club,'' Smith said.

"We're looking to make 2023 a positive one. With what the club went through with the floods before Christmas, it was amazing to see everyone chip in and play their part.

"It's been a lot of hard work off the field and we'd love to get some results on the field."

AFTER a bright second half of the season last year, Newbridge will be aiming to take another leap forward in 2023.

The Maroons suffered as much as any team with injuries and player unavailability in 2022, particularly early in the season.

But once their line-up became more settled, the results certainly improved, highlighted by a round 16 victory over finalist Bridgewater and a narrow four-goal loss to third-placed Calivil United in their season-ender at Calivil.

Reappointed coach Selina Holland is hoping to capitalise on that momentum.

The Maroons will start the season with a relatively stable line-up, with only two player losses from their top side.

Joint 2017 league best and fairest winner Meg Jennings, who missed parts of last season with injury, has stepped away from netball, while goaler Brianna Burt has switched clubs and leagues to Huntly in the Heathcote District league.

READ MORE: All hands on deck at Newbridge to help flood recovery

But the Maroons have uncovered solid replacements for both, with goal shooter Kym Childs stepping up from B-grade and defender Emily Langley making her way to Newbridge from Wimmera league club Minyip-Murtoa.

Childs, a two-time B-grade league best and fairest and multiple premiership player with Bridgewater, was a force in the Maroons' minor premiership win last season, but was keen to focus on her coaching.

Her decision to step up to A-grade has been fully welcomed by Holland.

"As she was coaching for the first time at Newbridge, she felt she was going to find it a bit hard to coach and then play in a different side (A-grade)," she said.

"But she will step up to play in the goal shooting role this season. A-grade is where she belongs and as coach I'm definitely not going to say no to her."

Langley will join goal keeper Sarah Lovell and Abby Rowley in defence after a superb 2022 season for Minyip-Murtoa in which she polled 11 votes in the Wimmera league A-grade best and fairest, the second most number of votes by a Burras player.

Her tally placed her equal sixth in the competition.

READ MORE: BDCA grand final preview

All returning from last year's line-up are best and fairest-winning midcourter Georgie Hyett, wing attack Sarah McClusky, who was runner-up to Hyett, and goalers Morgan McCormick and Jorja Hufer.

Holland said with Rowely expected to be on nursing placement at times during the season, Hufer was earmarked to spend time at both ends of the court.

She hoped the combination of a relatively settled line-up, with some key new inclusions, could push for a few more wins and potentially a finals berth.

"When we weren't injured in the second half of the season, we played some really good netball," she said.

"Given that we've swapped like-for-like with our player ins and outs, I would like to think we will be back in amongst it this year.

"Our aim obviously will be to try and create a few upsets here and there, as I feel we are probably going in a bit stronger this year. Stronger mentally and a bit more positive.

"We'll be looking for a final five finish."

The Maroons will spend a fair bit of time away from home at the start of the season, with their round one clash against Calivil United and round three game against Marong already moved as flood recovery works continue at Riverside Park.

They travel to Serpentine in round two and Bridgewater in round four.

NEWBRIDGE

SEASON FIXTURE

ROUND 1 - April 1

v Calivil United (a)

ROUND 2 - April 15

v Bears Lagoon-Serpentine (a)

ROUND 3 - April 22

v Marong (a)

ROUND 4 - April 29

v Bridgewater (a)

ROUND 5 - May 6

v Mitiamo (h)

ROUND 6 - May 13

v Maiden Gully YCW (a)

ROUND 7 - May 20

v Inglewood (h)

ROUND 8 - May 27

Bye

ROUND 9 - June 3

v Pyramid Hill (a)

ROUND 10 - June 17

v Calivil United (h)

ROUND 11 - June 24

v Bears Lagoon-Serpentine (h)

ROUND 12 - July 1

v Marong (h)

ROUND 13 - July 8

v Bridgewater (h)

ROUND 14 - July 15

v Mitiamo (a)

ROUND 15 - July 22

v Maiden Gully YCW (h)

ROUND 16 - July 29

v Inglewood (a)

ROUND 17 - August 5

Bye

ROUND 18 - August 12

v Pyramid Hill (h)

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