REDEMPTION will be a key theme at Sandhurst this season as the Dragons seek a return to the top of the BFNL A-grade netball mountain.
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The Dragons came within a whisker of making it a new record setting five straight premierships last season, beaten by a solitary goal by Gisborne in a barnstorming finish to the grand final decider. (Their four straight flags from 2017-19 and 2022 remains the record.)
They looked home and hosed before surrendering the final six goals of the match in what would have been a deserving end to the season after the Dragons thoroughly dominated the competition in compiling 19 straight wins before grand final day.
Expect the Dragons, under four-time A-grade premiership coach Tamara Gilchrist, to be more than eager to atone.
As they did throughout their long-premiership reign, Sandhurst will enter the new season from a position of strength and stability.
The Dragons will be without only one of last year's line-up, class goal attack Kelsey Meade.
Young Bendigo Strikers star Charlotte Sexton will slot full-time into defence in the only tweak to the team, with Strikers teammate Heather Oliver to move back to the attacking end of the court to replace Meade.
With their young core of Meg Williams, Shae Clifford (second in last year's Betty Thompson Medal count), Imogen and Charlotte Sexton, Ruby Turner and Sophie Shoebridge all in good form early in the VNL season, the Dragons will undoubtedly be ready to fire from round one.
Q&A WITH COACH TAMARA GILCHRIST
How are the girls looking heading into the new season?
"They are looking great as always. The girls are up and about, training hard and enjoying each other's company with a little bit of netball thrown in. The only change of note is Charlotte Sexton into the A-grade this year, albeit she played quite a few games last year, and Kelsey Meade (pregnancy) is not playing this year. She will sit on the sidelines with me. Ollie will just go down and shoot, which she loves, and Charlotte will go down back."
Seven of your A-graders are playing VNL this year. You would think that with a bunch of games under their belt, they will be primed and ready to hit the ground running in round one against Kangaroo Flat?
"They are training and playing hard in the VNL, so I have been keeping a close eye on those girls. We just have to make sure we manage their load well. But they will be fit and firing come round one having played five or six VNL games."
Is 'redemption' the key theme for this year's campaign after last year's one-goal grand final loss?
"Absolutely. It's still hard to accept, but we do have to put that behind us and start this as a new season and take it for what it is and enjoy it. We are definitely keen to give things another red-hot crack."
How do you look back on last year's grand final, given you likely only played four or five minutes of bad netball for the season, which - taking nothing away from Gisborne - just happened to be the last few minutes?
"I can say I haven't gone back and watched it. There's nothing we can do about it; we can't go back and change the result. We just have to make sure we absorb and feel what that loss meant and learn from it and not let it happen again."
Where are the biggest threats coming from this season?
"Gisborne and Kangaroo Flat would be my expectation again. I haven't heard too much about big name recruits coming into the league. Strathfieldsaye might be one to keep an eye on with the Mangan girls going over there, They are nice players and nice girls. That's good for Strath to grab them as they lost a lot of their A-grade (team)."
Obviously Charlotte Sexton will a key inclusion for you?
"We're looking forward to working her into the mix. That will be some nice combinations with her and Immy (Sexton) and Ruby Turner. They are all so good. It will come down to who matches up well on who and who's playing well in that moment as to who goes on. It's a nice luxury to have."
Finally, your 17-and-unders also finished as runners-up last season. Will any of those girls be filtering up into the senior teams?
"We have Reese Gilchrist and Maya Dignan coming up into that B-grade and A-reserve mix. Hopefully we will give them some really good experience and start blooding them to be the next generation."
SEASON FIXTURE
ROUND 1 - April 13
v Kangaroo Flat (a)
ROUND 2 - April 20
v Gisborne (h)
ROUND 3 - April 27
Bye
ROUND 4 - May 4
v Maryborough (a) - A-grade (bye)
ROUND 5 - May 11
v South Bendigo (h)
ROUND 6 - May 25
v Golden Square (a)
ROUND 7 - June 1
v Eaglehawk (h)
ROUND 8 - June 8
v Strathfieldsaye (a)
ROUND 9 - June 15
v Castlemaine (h)
ROUND 10 - June 22
v Kangaroo Flat (h)
ROUND 11 - June 29
v Gisborne (a)
ROUND 12 - July 13
Bye
ROUND 13 - July 20
v Maryborough (h) - A-grade (bye)
ROUND 14 - July 27
v South Bendigo (a)
ROUND 15 - August 3
v Golden Square (h)
ROUND 16 - August 10
v Eaglehawk (a)
ROUND 17 - August 17
v Strathfieldsaye (h)
ROUND 18 - August 24
v Castlemaine (a)