North Bendigo signs Abbey Grindal and Morgan McClellan for 2024 HDFNL netball season

The Bulldogs, who will be aiming to return to the finals for the first time since 2016 next year, will head into the pre-season with plenty of certainty at the attacking end of the court following the signing of young shooters Abbey Grindal and Morgan McClellan.

It will not be the first time the 21-year-old pair have played together.

They were previously teammates at BFNL club South Bendigo in 2021.

McClellan joins North Bendigo from the Bloods, while Grindal spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons with rival team Castlemaine, where she won this year's A-reserve best and fairest, and appeared in a sprinkling of A-grade matches.

Bulldogs co-coach Kiralee Kinder, who formerly coached at South Bendigo, said the club was thrilled to have the young pair on board for next season.

"When Stacee (co-coach Stacee Kingdon) and I got the job, we were talking about how much we liked watching Abbey play and how we thought she had something special. So her name was one of the first to pop up in our recruiting conversations," she said.

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"Luckily we were able to secure her.

"She has been at Castlemaine the last two years and had a really solid year this year, winning the A-res best and fairest.

"Abbey and Morgan are both talls and can rotate between goal shooter and goal attack depending on match-ups, which is exciting.

"They are generally tough positions in which to find players.

"I feel we have a nice team building, with a few more recruits to be announced."

Grindal and McClellan loom as undoubted keys for the Bulldogs, who will be attempting to go a step or two further after finishing sixth this season with a 7-9 record.

They finished only one win behind both Heathcote and Mount Pleasant.

McClellan, a former BFNL 17-and-under team representative, who has been at South Bendigo since 2017, is hoping a change in environment will help her netball flourish.

"There's a real buzz around North at the moment and with Kiz and Stacee as the coaches, they are very experienced and very knowledgeable. I feel I have a great opportunity to learn from them," she said.

"I also have a family affiliation here (North Bendigo). Both my parents (Robert and Kathy) played here and two of my uncles (Andrew and Brian) as well.

"I feel very excited to be here and a bit nervous as well, but it will be a chance to try something new - a different club and a different league."

McClellan was an integral part of South Bendigo's A-reserve team that made it the semi-finals in 2023 and also played a number of A-grade games over the past two years.

A bonus to her move to Atkins Street is getting to play alongside fellow recruit Grindal.

"I'm really looking forward to playing with Abbey - we haven't played together for a while now," she said.

"We played a season together there and also in the BFNL interleague team.

"It helps having a few familiar faces around."

Grindal is also excitedly looking ahead to a new challenge with the Bulldogs and is similarly rapt to again get the chance to play alongside McClellan.

"I haven't played in the Heathcote league since juniors .... under-17 .... so after a while away, I'm excited for a change," she said.

"I was happy with my time at Castlemaine. We made finals both years, but unfortunately we lost both elimination finals, and I also got to play a few A-grade games this year.

"It's a really great atmosphere down there, but I just wanted something a little bit closer to home.

"I've dealt with Kiz before at South and have nothing but good things to say about her and Stacee and Liz (director of coaching Liz Taylor), who has come across as well.

"It's a great coaching team. I'm sure they will get the best out of me.

"And once I heard about Morgan playing here, I was very excited to come.

"It definitely made the switch a lot easier. I feel we play very well alongside of each other."

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