HDFNL 2024 season football preview: HEATHCOTE

Having made their first finals series since 2013, the young Saints were overrun in the last quarter of the grand final by a red-hot Mount Pleasant.

But with finals experienced gained and specific holes filled through new signings, the Saints are the tip of many to go one better in 2024.

WHO ARE YOUR NEW RECRUITS?

We've brought in half a dozen new guys, and there are a couple of big ones, but Kyneton ruckman and captain James Orr is a massive get for us.

We didn't have a ruckman last year and were forced to play our best midfielder, Braden Padmore, in the ruck, but bringing in James is fantastic, not just on the ruck front, but his experience around a young group will be vital.

Zak Saad is the one I'm most excited about.

He had a great year at Rupertswood last season, winning their best and fairest in a preliminary final campaign.

Zak played in our practice match against Lancefield on the weekend, and it looked like he'd played five games already.

We've lacked an explosive midfielder who could turn the game, and that's what he provides.

Daniel Johnstone from South Bendigo has also signed on, and he's exactly what we needed.

He's a mature body down back, and we were a bit undersized in 2023, so I think he will be a crucial addition.

Louis Piccolo returns to the club after a few years of travelling, and Cooper Webber-Mirkin from Trentham, who is a big boy, has signed on.

We felt we weren't tall in our forward line, so we thought we'd bring in a bit of height and size.

HAVE YOU FOUND THE MISSING PIECES?

After our season review, the aim for us was to keep the cattle we had and bring in the missing pieces.

We haven't gone out and recruited massively, but we've kept the list together that got us to where we are now, but these additions make us complete, I believe.

HAS ANYONE LEFT?

A few older guys have departed.

Jesse Davies has returned to Craigieburn after an injury-interrupted 2023.

Another experienced guy, Shannon Dowsett, has left, Thomas Pain has retired, and wingman Lachlan Inness has gone back to his old club.

WHERE WILL YOUR IMPROVEMENT COME FROM?

Everyone knows what you'll get from the stars like Padmore and Codie Price, but I think our improvement will come from younger guys like Rhys Bolton, Henry McCarthy and Callum Birch.

They've been playing senior footy for a couple of years now and are ready to take the next step.

In my first year at Heathcote, they were thin, but they've put on a bit of size now, so I'm looking forward to continue seeing these young men grow.

IS THE EXPECTATION TO GET BACK TO THE GRAND FINAL?

It has to be.

But I'm aware the competition has improved.

We're just focused on playing consistent footy this year and giving ourselves the best chance to get back to the last day.

DID YOU ADDRESS THE GRAND FINAL DEFEAT AS A GROUP?

Yes, we did.

We learned a lot from that day.

Being up in a grand final at three-quarter-time and having gone in with fresh legs, we reflected on how five minutes of footy can deflate your whole season and that five minutes in the final quarter where they kicked three goals taught us you can never switch off in a grand final.

But a lot of people seem to think we might have got there a bit early, and that might be true as we had a lot of kids playing not just in their first grand final but first finals series in senior footy, so there's a lot to take out from that day, but we haven't dwelled on it.

WILL YOU PLAY A SIMILAR BRAND OF FOOTY THIS SEASON?

We love to play quick and aggressive corridor footy, but we want to get the balance right.

With the guys we brought in, we feel we can tweak things a bit and slow it up when required.

HOW HAVE THE NUMBERS BEEN ON THE TRACK?

It's been a bit up and down, which is a typical Heathcote thing, as a lot of guys come from Melbourne.

But with practice matches beginning numbers have picked up.

On a Tuesday night, we are quite light, but Thursdays are pretty good, with 30 to 35 on the track.

ANY PRE-SEASON BOLTERS?

Rhys Bolton has been the one that's stood out.

He's super fit at the moment and was probably best on ground in our first practice match playing of half-back.

Jonty Kelly has been training well, but I think the young core as a whole have got themselves fit and put on some size.

ROUND 1 - April 6

v Mount Pleasant (a)

ROUND 2 - April 13

v LBU (h)

ROUND 3 - April 20

v Colbinabbin (a)

ROUND 4 - April 27

v North Bendigo (h)

ROUND 5 - May 4

v Elmore (a)

ROUND 6 - May 11

v Leitchville-Gunbower (h)

ROUND 7 - May 18

Bye

ROUND 8 - May 25

v White Hills (a)

ROUND 9 - June 1

v Huntly (h)

ROUND 10 - June 15

v Colbinabbin (h)

ROUND 11 - June 22

v LBU (a)

ROUND 12 - June 29

v Mount Pleasant (h)

ROUND 13 - July 6

v North Bendigo (a)

ROUND 14 - July 13

v Elmore (h)

ROUND 15 - July 20

v Leitchville-Gunbower (a)

ROUND 16 - July 27

Bye

ROUND 17 - August 3

v White Hills (h)

ROUND 18 - August 10

v Huntly (a)

HDFNL 2024 PREVIEWS:

Elmore: