SANDHURST co-coach Ashley Connick couldn't have asked for a better preparation to launch into the Dragons' 2023 BFNL season.
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Connick is taking charge of the Dragons for a fifth year and will be joined in the role this season by Bryce Curnow, giving Sandhurst both a non-playing and playing coach.
Curnow, who has previously played at BFNL clubs Strathfieldsaye, where he is a premiership player, and Golden Square, returns to the competition from a successful stint with Kerang in the Central Murray and will slot into a key role in defence.
The Dragons enter 2023 on the back of a fifth-placed finish last year, with Connick bullish about what his side is capable of this season - and with good reason.
"I believe we've had the perfect pre-season in terms of the work we've been able to do fitness-wise and tinkering with the way we want to play," Connick said.
"We've got some extra talent in that fits our needs, so there's no doubt we are significantly better than where we were 12 months ago.
"We're ready to attack the year with real optimism knowing that we are better, but how that stacks up... we're all expecting the competition to be better as well."
The Dragons welcome back two former players to the club in 2016 premiership player Nick Stagg from Kerang and Andrew Collins from Bridgewater.
We've got some extra talent in that fits our needs, so there's no doubt we are significantly better than where we were 12 months ago
- Ashley Connick
One of the favourite sons of the Dragons, Stagg will return to the Sandhurst midfield after playing in a Central Murray league premiership for Kerang alongside Curnow last year.
Former Sandhurst coach Collins adds plenty of X-factor class with his capacity to influence games both in the midfield and forward line, with Connick indicating the bulk of the 34-year-old's work will be done inside 50 this season.
In their bid to improve, the Dragons have also added forward Lachlan Wright from Woorinen, Mildura's Harrison Monk and Will Moran from Castlemaine.
"Looking at our side this year, getting Bryce (Curnow) in is going to make a huge difference with the experience he brings," Connick said.
"We know he can play at either end of the ground, but he has been at centre half-back in our practice matches and to put a key pillar like that in your side makes you so much stronger.
"Harry Monk and Lachie Wright have both been really impressive, getting Staggy back helps a lot and Andy is just class... his practice match at Sebastopol a few weeks ago looked like Andy of a few years ago.
"With the continued improvement of guys like Isaac Carracher, Tanner Nally and Cobi Maxted, who are all really talented young players... we're really happy with where our list is at."
The addition of former Bendigo Pioneer Wright and Monk has the capacity to stretch opposition defences alongside fellow forwards Matt Thornton and young gun Cobi Maxted, who is one of four Sandhurst players on VFL lists along with Sam Conforti, Cooper Smith and Lachlan Tardrew.
Monk will also provide a back-up in the ruck to Hamish Hosking, who was the competition's dominant big man last year averaging 41 hit-outs and 10 clearances per game according to Premier Data.
"Hamish has had a really big pre-season and put plenty of work in. He's coming off a really good season last year and his motivation to help us get better has been fantastic," Connick said.
"He's fitter than he was 12 months ago, so, hopefully, we can expect more of the same from him."
List retention has been strong at the Dragons, with 2016 premiership skipper Blair Holmes (retired), the classy Jeremy Rodi, James Mittell and Billy Robertson moving on, while at this stage Connick says it would "be a bonus" if Sean O'Farrell was to play after suffering a heart attack late last year.
"Sean is certainly out for the first half of the season at this stage. He is still waiting on some test results, but we would be treating it as a bonus if he was to play," Connick said.
2022 STATS LEADERS
DISPOSALS
Noah Walsh 389
Lee Coghlan 386
Jake McLean 358
Hamish Hosking 344
Lachlan Hood 324
Jeremy Rodi 320
Tanner Nally 316
Brodie Montague 303
Alex Wharton 293
Zac Pallpratt 289
MARKS
Tanner Nally 128
Cobi Maxted 108
Liam Ireland 95
Brodie Montague 94
Jake McLean 90
Alex Wharton 82
Noah Walsh 73
Lachlan Hood 69
Jake Wilkinson 56
James Coghlan 55
CLEARANCES
Hamish Hosking 183
Jeremy Rodi 73
Lee Coghlan 72
Noah Walsh 62
Zac Pallpratt 53
James Coghlan 40
Lachlan Hood 37
Blair Holmes 31
Brodie Montague 31
Jake McLean 28
TACKLES
Jeremy Rodi 87
Zac Pallpratt 87
Lachlan Hood 80
Blair Holmes 75
Alex Wharton 72
James Coghlan 68
Noah Walsh 64
Isaac Ruff 62
Lee Coghlan 54
Joel Wharton 51
GOALS
Cobi Maxted 56
Joel Wharton 27
Matthew Thornton 21
Lachlan Zimmer 19
Noah Walsh 15
Lee Coghlan 14
Blair Holmes 12
James Coghlan 9
Lachlan Hood 8
Alex Wharton 8
NETBALL
Coach: Tamara Gilchrist.
Last year: Premiers (19-2).
2022 best and fairest: Ruby Turner.
Player gains: Heather Oliver.
Last A-grade premiership: 2022.
AFTER creating BFNL history last year by becoming the first club to win four straight premierships, Sandhurst will be aiming to make further history in 2023 by becoming the first to claim five-in-a-row.
The Dragons shape as being even stronger this year, having lost none of last year's premiership winning line-up, but regaining dual Betty Thompson Medal winner Heather Oliver after a couple of seasons off.
Her return will give four-time premiership coach Tamara Gilchrist even greater flexibility, with Oliver capable of filling dual roles in both the goal and defensive circles and also able to play in the midcourt.
Gilchrist is also working on finding more court time for young goal keeper Charlotte Sexton following her selection in the Victorian 19-and-under team for this week's national netball championships.
Sexton is one of two Dragons players playing for Victoria in Darwin, with young midcourter and last year's BFNL Rising Star award winner Shae Clifford also involved.
Sexton adds to an already young, athletic and accomplished defence featuring previous best and fairest winners Ruby Turner, who won last year's award, and Sophie Shoebridge (2021), and Imogen Sexton, who claimed the best on court medal in the Dragons' stunning 15-goal grand final win over Kangaroo Flat last September.
The midcourt will again be powered by another best and fairest winner and dual grand final best on court medallist Meg Williams and Clifford, with support from Paige Ryan, while four-time premiership goal shooter Bec Smith and classy goal attack Kelsey Meade are also back for the Dragons' tilt at five straight flags.
Williams and Imogen Sexton have also played in all four of the premierships.
Having had an amazingly stable line-up at her disposal during the Dragons' magnificent premiership reign from 2017 to 2022, Gilchrist was delighted to have again kept all of her premiership stars from last season.
"The hunger is still there - the girls are super-keen," she said.
"We hope to be a real handful again this year and finish strong as always. It never gets old trying to win.
"With the group I've got, they are a super-competitive bunch. They love it."
Sandhurst played two practice matches in the lead-up to round one, against Goulburn Valley league club Shepparton Bears and last year's grand final rival Kangaroo Flat.
The Bears finished last year's season in sixth place.
The Roos were an interesting choice as practice match partners, with the two teams going head-to-head again in this weekend's season opener at the QEO.
"Jayden (Roos coach Jayden Cowling) got in touch with me a few weeks ago and said they were struggling to get practice matches and we struggle most years getting them, so we decided to play each other," Gilchrist said.
"Initially, I was a bit apprehensive, but I knew we would be getting a very good match.
"It was good to get some really solid match-play in and a good chance to try some new combinations.
"It was super-competitive and it was good to see Ash Ryan playing again (for Kangaroo Flat) after her injury last year. She was awesome as usual."
With the league continuing to grow stronger each season, Gilchrist was expecting plenty of fierce challengers throughout the season.
"The league is really picking up each year. Flat will be good, Gissy will be good and are always competitive and strong and Castlemaine will be strong," she said.
"Anyone can challenge and make the top four, you'll have to play well on your day and win. It will be interesting to see how the season starts off."
SEASON FIXTURE
ROUND 1 - April 15
v Kangaroo Flat (h)
ROUND 2 - April 22
v Kyneton (a)
ROUND 3 - April 29
v Golden Square (h)
ROUND 4 - May 6
v Strathfieldsaye (a)
ROUND 5 - May 13
v South Bendigo (a)
ROUND 6 - May 27
v Maryborough (h)
ROUND 7 - June 3
v Gisborne (a)
ROUND 8 - June 10
v Castlemaine (h)
ROUND 9 - June 17
v Eaglehawk (a)
ROUND 10 - June 24
v Kangaroo Flat (a)
ROUND 11 - July 8
v Kyneton (h)
ROUND 12 - July 15
v Golden Square (a)
ROUND 13 - July 22
v Strathfieldsaye (h)
ROUND 14 - July 29
v South Bendigo (h)
ROUND 15 - August 5
v Maryborough (a)
ROUND 16 - August 12
v Gisborne (h)
ROUND 17 - August 19
v Castlemaine (a)
ROUND 18 - August 26
v Eaglehawk (h)
BFNL SEASON PREVIEWS
HDFNL SEASON PREVIEWS
LVFNL SEASON PREVIEWS
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