LVFNL 2023 season preview: Mitiamo

There's a new coach at the helm in Jon Varcoe as well as a list upwards of 17 recruits who have joined the club.

There has also been a significant turnover of players from last year's team that finished the home and away season third on the ladder before being knocked out of the premiership race in straight sets.

"We're obviously going to be a very new and different looking team to last year and we're really looking forward to the start of the season," said Varcoe, who brings with him the experience of having coached two sets of back-to-back flags at Waaia in 1994-95 and Picola United in 2016-17.

"We've been working hard on gelling together and look forward to putting in a good performance against Bridgewater first up.

"We've got a vision as a club of where we want to go and how we want to play our football and that is based around being team-orientated, committed and part of a good club and that's how we've sold it to our new players.

"We've been able to find a group of like-minded players who want to be involved in the vision we've got."

With the departures including the Queensland contingent of players the club has been synonymous with in recent years, three of the Superoos' experienced key players from last year are back in gun midfielder Doug Thomas, consistent half-back Luke Lougoon and hard-working on-baller Ross Turner as well as leading goalkicker Jay Reynolds, while they also have 2019 premiership player Dylan Clohesy returning after overcoming a shoulder injury.

The Superoos have also added some VFL experience with former Box Hill Hawks player Michael Barnes, who has also played under-18s for Victoria Metro, to be a key cog in the midfield.

Other players joining the Superoos this year include Andrew Cussen, who played at the club in 2021 before having last season off, Daniel Walters, ruckman Duncan Proud, Rhys Varcoe, Kobe Galvin, Ryan Byrne, Mitch Byrne, Halen Danziger, Liam Jones, Lincoln Hocking, Tom Campbell and Zach Morison.

Recruit Walters will help form the core of the Superoos' midfield alongside the quartet of Thomas, Barnes, Turner and Jackson Falls.

"What we've primarily targeted with our recruiting is 17 to 21-year-olds and we've also been able to bring in a few guys in their late 20s," Varcoe said.

"By the end of last season I think it would be fair to say the team was what you'd probably call reasonably old, so we've restructured that to have a better age profile.

"It's exciting for us to have a sprinkling of experienced players playing with quite a few young guys who we're looking forward to seeing develop throughout the course of the season.

"Our objective going into the season is that we gel together, play team football and commit to our club on and off the field and we're competitive every week."

WHILE a new season invariably brings fresh hope and plenty of changes for most clubs, in the Loddon Valley, it generally delivers the same powerful Mitiamo on the netball court.

Don't expect things to change in 2023.

The Superoos have enjoyed a seemingly unprecedented run of strength and success, as evidenced by four grand final appearances in the last five seasons when a premiership decider was played, and multiple minor premierships, including the COVID-affected 2021 season.

They might just be that little bit stronger again this season, with only the one player loss from last season's squad which finished runner-up to Maiden Gully YCW, but is bolstered by two nice additions and the return of Jess Pay, who missed the end of last season due to pregnancy.

The Superoos have welcomed back athletic defender Caitlyn Hocking, who last played with Bears Lagoon-Serpentine, and Alyce Falls, who is returning from a knee injury and last represented Calivil United.

Both are former Mitiamo juniors.

The biggest change has come at the top, with former premiership coach and player Jen Wilson taking over the coaching reins from star goaler Laura Hicks, who led the Superoos to a grand final berth in her only season at the helm.

Wilson, a multiple premiership player with the club, led the Superoos to a premiership in 2012, the first of two A-grade flags won during that decade.

The Superoos also won in 2019, coached by Kylie Piercy.

Curiously, three players - Hicks and sisters Amelia Ludeman and Sarah Bateman - were part of the 2012 premiership team coached by Wilson and will be key players in this season's line-up

With such a settled squad, the new coach is again aiming high.

"I'd like to think we can be in the top three," Wilson said.

"Our A-grade has been quite successful over the years and are always thereabouts.

"We hope to continue that, and if we can go one better, well and good, but there's a long way to go.

"There is some great opposition out there.

"I know (Maiden Gully) YCW will be good again and they have a good new coach. And my old mate from YC and good friend Sue Borserio is coaching Marong and her talent and her history over the last few years has been awesome.

"I know she will dish up something very strong.

"I'm hoping we will be up amongst it, but until we play them all, who knows how we'll go."

Wilson said the only two areas of slight concern were height in defence and depth outside of A-grade.

"Our B-grade side is extremely young ... from about 16 to 22, with just a splattering of older girls," she said.

"We thought we'd put all the younger girls in the one team and develop them for the future."

On the Superoos' defence, Wilson said:

"I know after watching us against YC last year in the grand final, height was our issue in the defence end.

"Caity (Hocking) has got a little bit of height and has great aerial ability. That will be a help."

Hocking will be joined in defence by Abbey Battersby and Emma Pay.

Undoubted strengths will again be the combination of four-time league medallist Hicks and Carly Scholes, one of the league's best goal shooting pairings, and the brilliant feeding into the circle of Ludeman and Bateman.

The Superoos open the season at home against Bridgewater, with a two-week break in between games before their much-anticipated clash against last year's premiers Maiden Gully YCW.

ROUND 1 - April 1

v Bridgewater (h)

ROUND 2 - April 15

Bye

ROUND 3 - April 22

v Maiden Gully YCW (a)

ROUND 4 - April 29

v Inglewood (h)

ROUND 5 - May 6

v Newbridge (a)

ROUND 6 - May 13

v Pyramid Hill (h)

ROUND 7 - May 20

v Calivil United (h)

ROUND 8 - May 27

v BL-Serpentine (a)

ROUND 9 - June 3

v Marong (h)

ROUND 10 - June 17

v Bridgewater (a)

ROUND 11 - June 24

Bye

ROUND 12 - July 1

v Maiden Gully YCW (h)

ROUND 13 - July 8

v Inglewood (a)

ROUND 14 - July 15

v Newbridge (h)

ROUND 15 - July 22

v Pyramid Hill (a)

ROUND 16 - July 29

v Calivil United (a)

ROUND 17 - August 5

v BL-Serpentine (h)

ROUND 18 - August 12

v Marong (a)

Bears Lagoon-Serpentine

Calivil United

Inglewood

Maiden Gully YCW

Marong

Newbridge

Pyramid Hill

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