GOLDEN Square is hopeful a swag of new A-grade recruits will help energise the club following a few lean seasons on the netball court.
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After a busy off-season in which several fresh faces were brought into the playing and coaching group, the Bulldogs will be looking to make positive inroads when their BFNL season launches against Eaglehawk this Saturday at Canterbury Park.
The Bulldogs - wooden spooners in 2023 - will enter a season full of optimism having undergone a makeover of their list.
The 'ins' are headed by Bendigo Strikers VNL 23-and-under teammates Mia McCrann-Peters and Jasmin Gallagher, who have respectively crossed from Marong and Eaglehawk.
The Bulldogs have also lured Gallagher's sister Rylee and another former Marong (and Charlton) player in Abby Thompson.
Putting the seal on new coach Chris O'Sullivan's plans, the Bulldogs were given a late pre-season boost by the signing of Amelia Mundy, who had moved to Bendigo for university.
The newcomers will join last year's best and fairest and 2023 season captain Cass Humphrey, Maddy Gerdes and promising youngsters Daisy Stringer and Keira Lawry in a revamped Bulldogs side tipped to be one of the BFNL's big improvers.
O'Sullivan said he was excited by the enthusiasm and added-depth the Bulldogs' recruits had brought to the club.
"There's a really upbeat vibe," he said.
"The girls who are coming to training are giving 100 per cent every time.
"The coaching style I am going with is that respect is given and not earned and the girls have that for me as much as I do for them.
"There are a lot of open conversations about how we want to go about things.
"If the girls see a better way of doing things, then I am open to that.
"There is a lot of input coming from players like Mia and Jas Gallagher, in particular, and Cass Humphrey around what they think might work better."
The young girls definitely give as good as they get at training and they are definitely learning from one another
- Chris O'Sullivan
Following a big pre-season and their first bunch of games with VNL expansion club the Strikers, O'Sullivan said there was no doubt vice-captains McCrann-Peters and Jasmin Gallagher would be the keys to driving the Bulldogs' early season improvement.
"They are definitely at the peak of where we want to be at the moment," he said.
"They've certainly come in and wanted to help the core group.
"The young girls definitely give as good as they get at training and they are definitely learning from one another."
O'Sullivan further hailed the input of the Bulldogs' new director of coaching Teigan Redwood as pivotal to the buoyancy at Wade Street.
After no wins last season, the Bulldogs will get their chance to get on the board early, avoiding the big three of Gisborne, Kangaroo Flat and Sandhurst in the first three rounds of the season.
They will open the season against Eaglehawk, before clashes against Strathfieldsaye (at Wade Street) and Castlemaine (Camp Reserve).
An intriguing round one encounter will see not only the Gallagher sisters playing against their former team, but also goal shooter Lucy Morcom, who has crossed from Golden Square to the Hawks.
The mainstay of the Bulldogs line-up over the last four seasons, captain Humphrey said it was not only the new recruits that had brought a breath of fresh air to Wade Street, but also their new coach.
"Chris has given us the encouragement to give our all," she said.
"Being such a new-look side, we are all going to make mistakes, but we just have to move on from that and back each other up and do what we do well.
"Chris has really helped us with that and kept things positive."
Humphrey, who represented the North Central region at last month's State Titles in Bendigo, said she was humbled and thrilled to be selected as captain.
"It's great knowing the girls have the trust in me to lead them each week," she said.
"There is a really great vibe around the club. This is my fourth A-grade season now and easily the most exciting.
"It's great to see all the work Chris has been putting in come together and all the work the girls have been doing come together.
"We are going to give it a really good crack this year."
The Bulldogs rounded out their practice match commitments with a hit-out against BFNL rival Strathfieldsaye on Thursday night.
- Full season preview to be published later this week
