HDFNL 2023 season preview: Lockington-Bamawm United

While Fiske is new to the Cats, he has plenty of first-hand experience from the opposing side about what has made the Cats the standout team of the past two years during which they have won 29 of 31 games, including last year's premiership.

Fiske takes over as coach of the Cats from Brodie Collins - who is staying on as a player - directly from coaching rival club Huntly where he had played since 2011.

"For me it hasn't been about coming in and throwing out everything that has worked well because the club has done such a good job over the past decade," Fiske said.

"Whatever is in the water out at Lockington works really well; it's a good group of blokes and the biggest thing for me is making sure that we don't change too much.

"We might tweak a few things here and there and there has been a bit of personnel change where we have to make some adjustments.

"But we're still all about aiming to strive for excellence and continuing to grow and develop our good young kids who we have coming through that will, hopefully, be the next generation that continues to build on what has happened over the past 10 years."

The Cats enter the season as the reigning premiers after defeating Mount Pleasant by 20 points in an enthralling grand final last year.

From last year's side there has been some turnover, particularly through the midfield where the club's departures include on-ballers Marcus Angove, Lachlan Atherton, Nathan Bacon (retired) and Harley Cobb.

The departures also include grand final best-on-ground Jarod Bacon, who booted five goals in the flag win, Joss Howlett, Trent Bacon (retired) and Rhys Woodland.

Joining Fiske at the Cats are six fellow recruits, one of whom has enjoyed plenty of success at the club in the returning Nathan O'Brien.

A premiership skipper at the club, O'Brien is a four-time premiership player with the Cats.

The Cats boast the competition's dominant big man in Tyler Phillips, who has won the past two Cheatley medals.

Phillips will this year form a ruck duo with recruit Max Johnson from Kangaroo Flat.

As well as playing in the ruck, Johnson will also give the Cats key position options at either end of the ground.

"We've been experimenting a bit with Max at both ends of the ground in our practice matches," Fiske said.

"He has given us plenty at both ends, but I reckon early on in the season he will probably start forward for us."

The recruits to the Cats also included Ben Holman from Kyabram, Lachlan Tenace, Brock Kennedy and Tom Douglas from St Arnaud.

"Ben will play in the backline for us as a bit of a hybrid with his ability to play centre half-back, full-back or half-back," Fiske said of Holman, who is the brother of Cats' 2021 player Tom Holman.

"Lachie Tenace is a quick left-footed wingman, Brock Kennedy is a midfielder, Nathan O'Brien will play in our backline and is a great user of the ball and Tom Douglas is an inside midfielder who can also go forward."

And as for the role that Fiske will play for the Cats: "It will just be a matter of where I fit in best given the boys we've brought in... I'm happy with wherever that will be.

"We're all really looking forward to the season ahead and we'll continue to play the Lockington way, which is utilising skills and good ball movement.

"We know we've got teams targeting us, so we've got to continue to get better."

The Cats have an extra wait to get their season started with a bye in round one.

Last year: Seventh (5-11)

Coach: Jessie Hardess.

2022 best and fairest: Jessie Hardess.

Player gains: Rebecca Eade.

Player losses: Chelsea Hicks, Sarah Ogden, Maddy Atherton.

AFTER a pair of seasons filled with impressive gains under playing coach Jessie Hardess, Lockington-Bamawm United will look to cap their improvement with a finals berth.

The Cats were one of the surprise-packets of last season, after finding themselves inside the top five at the end of the first round of matches, and only one win outside the five at the end of the home and away season.

Their fate was only sealed when they could not find a way past eventual premiers Elmore in round 18.

Like Heathcote and Leitchville-Gunbower, their finals chances were diminished when Huntly, which finished fifth, was awarded the points following a loss against Elmore in round 17 due to a scoresheet infringement by the Bloods.

A philosophical Hardess conceded the Cats had let go of a few chances to determine their own fate, but believed they would emerge stronger from the experience of last year.

LBU has lost three of last season's A-grade team, with Chelsea Hicks having moved back to Calivil United to take up the coaching reins, Sarah Ogden crossing to Moama, and Maddy Atherton focusing on work commitments.

The holdovers include Hardess, fellow goaler Annalesa Turner, Kiarra Duncan, Tracey Ogden and Jessie Milligan, who is working her way back from an ankle injury sustained in the final game of last season.

Hardess described the Cats' pre-season as 'definitely mixed'.

"We had an optimistic start, but we've had two girls go down with ACLs already," she said.

"One of the girls we recruited, Sarah Eade, She's gone down with an ACL and is out for a minimum of this season and possibly next season.

"She and her sister Rebecca have come back (to LBU). Sarah will still take an active role in the club, just obviously not a playing one.

"Rebecca will slot into defence. We also have a lot of under-17s, from our championship team last year, who will be given opportunities.

"It would be good to see some of them step up to seniors."

Of those likely to rise from the junior ranks, Chelsea Jones and Giselle Crawford are expected to earn their chances early in the season.

Hardess was confident the Cats would enter the season with improved depth.

"We've got so many good midcourters in our A-res team this year and a lot of girls who could go to any team at this stage," she said.

"We have a lot of flexibility between our A and B squads.

"I guess a lot will depend on who everyone else has recruited, but we've kept a huge core group of our players from last year.

"That's a real positive, as you can't build if you don't retain players."

The Cats, who have a bye in round one, will get their chance to build some early momentum, with two of their first four games against teams which finished outside of the five last year and another against Huntly, which was eliminated in the first week of finals.

That batch of four also includes a clash against Colbinabbin.

One of the undoubted highlights of the Cats' season last year was their first A-grade win over the Grasshoppers in at least a decade.

Hardess said for a team that was on the cusp of making the top five last season, early wins would be ultra-important.

LOCKINGTON-BAMAWM UNITED

ROUND 1 - April 15

Bye

ROUND 2 - April 22

v North Bendigo (h)

ROUND 3 - April 29

v Huntly (a)

ROUND 4 - May 6

v Colbinabbin (h)

ROUND 5 - May 13

v Leitchville-Gunbower (a)

ROUND 6 - May 20

v White Hills (h)

ROUND 7 - May 27

v Heathcote (a)

ROUND 8 - June 3

v Elmore (h)

ROUND 9 - June 17

v Mount Pleasant (h)

ROUND 10 - June 24

Bye

ROUND 11 - July 1

v North Bendigo (a)

ROUND 12 - July 8

v Huntly (h)

ROUND 13 - July 15

v Colbinabbin (a)

ROUND 14 - July 22

v Leitchville-Gunbower (h)

ROUND 15 - July 29

v White Hills (a)

ROUND 16 - August 5

v Heathcote (h)

ROUND 17 - August 12

v Elmore (a)

ROUND 18 - August 19

v Mount Pleasant (a)

Bears Lagoon-Serpentine

Bridgewater

Calivil United

Inglewood

Maiden Gully YCW

Marong

Mitiamo

Newbridge

Pyramid Hill

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