FOOTBALL
After making great improvement in 2022, the Kyneton Tigers looked well-placed to take an extra step in 2023 and qualify for the BFNL finals.
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The off-season hasn't gone exactly to plan for the Tigers, but coach Paul Chapman remains confident his side will again be competitive with the teams in the top half of the ladder.
"We've had a positive pre-season despite some injuries and the fact we couldn't train on our ground pre-Christmas,'' Chapman said.
"We've lost a lot of senior players from last year, but we've recruited okay and we have some talented young players coming through that are going to get opportunities to play.
"We'll be a little bit underdone early on because of injuries, but we expect to be very competitive as the year goes on.
"If we can keep our best team on the park then there's no reason why we can't challenge for the finals again."
Rhys Magin, Frazer Driscoll, Guy Dickson, Dean Bartrop, Louis Thompson, Louis Phillips, Ben Xihira and Ned O'Sullivan headline Kyneton's departures.
On a positive note, Gisborne premiership forward Ethan Foreman returns to his home club where he will fill Magin's absence deep in Kyneton's attack.
The Tigers' most intriguing recruit is Tom Quinn from Victorian Amateur Football Association club University Blues.
A midfielder/forward, Quinn was a premiership player with Uni Blues, represented the VAFA state squad twice and was ranked number 22 in the club's best 25 players since 2000.
The Tigers boltered their big man stocks by signing former Sunbury ruckman Jayden Eales (Sunbury).
Siblings Jordan and Lucas Ludica have joined Kyneton from Koondrook Barham.
Another key recruit, Jack Fraser, suffered a knee injury at pre-season training and could miss the entire season.
It's mixed news for the Tigers in terms of their brightest young talent.
The good news is that Harry Sheahan is playing for the Bendigo Pioneers, while Pioneers graduate Ben Cameron played his first VFL game for Coburg last week.
In frustrating news, Angus Nolte, who made a big impression with the Tigers in 2022, hurt his knee at the end of last year and might not play any footy this year.
Cameron Manuel was outstanding in his first season in the BFNL last year and he'll spearhead the Kyneton midfield.
Ruckman James Orr has been reappointed captain with key defender Harrison Huntley named vice-captain.
An injury cut short Orr's season in 2022 and he was sorely missed as the Tigers tried to push for a finals berth.
"He gives us first use of the ball and his leadership is huge for us,'' Chapman said of Orr.
"It's a big ask for a 34-year-old to ruck, so we've got Jayden Eales in to help him out and we're looking forward to seeing how he goes."
Magin and Dickson leave a big hole in the Kyneton attack.
Chapman said a couple of key recruits, and some creativity with their structure, should ensure they can kick winning scores.
"Ethan Foreman and Tom Quinn give us some firepower in the forward line, but we certainly will look different down there compared to last year,'' Chapman said.
"It's a great challenge for us."
In terms of challenges, the Tigers face one of the biggest tests in the BFNL in Saturday's season-opener.
"Straight into Golden Square at Golden Square, so we'll get a pretty good indication straight up of where we're at,'' Chapman said.
"Being (Golden Square skipper) Jack Geary's 200th game I'm sure they'll want to make it a good day for him."
2022 STATS LEADERS
DISPOSALS
Frazer Driscoll 478
Hamish Yunghanns 413
Cameron Manuel 365
Harrison Huntley 342
Dean Bartrop 327
Rhys Magin 312
Mason Crozier 293
Mitch Comben 267
James Gaff 264
Louis Phillips 249
MARKS
Rhys Magin 120
Frazer Driscoll 106
Harrison Huntley 102
Guy Dickson 98
Steven Georgiou 98
Cameron Manuel 98
Mason Crozier 90
Louis Thompson 67
Mitch Comben 65
Hamish Yunghanns 60
CLEARANCES
Hamish Yunghanns 98
Dean Bartrop 71
Cameron Manuel 63
James Orr 55
James Gaff 47
Guy Dickson 37
Angus Nolte 37
Bailey McGee 33
Caleb Fisher 22
Rhys Magin 21
TACKLES
Hamish Yunghanns 150
Dean Bartrop 96
Bailey McGee 64
Angus Nolte 63
Jake Safstrom 59
James Gaff 56
Cameron Manuel 50
Frazer Driscoll 45
Mason Crozier 44
Ben Xiriha 42
GOALS
Rhys Magin 76
Cameron Manuel 37
Ryan Pretty 17
Guy Dickson 16
Angus Nolte 14
Dean Bartrop 9
Bailey McGee 9
Hamish Yunghanns 8
Benjamin Cameron 8
Mason Crozier 8
NETBALL
Coach: Dianne Guest-Oakley
Last year: Sixth (7-10-1).
2022 best and fairest: Brooke Mangan.
Player gains: Claire Oakley.
Player losses: Dezyre Paiti.
Last A-grade premiership: Never won an A-grade flag.
KYNETON is hoping a team that stays together can grow together as the Tigers set their sights on breaking a nine-year finals drought.
The Tigers will start the 2023 season with basically all of its A-grade line-up intact minus one player, but with one major addition.
Kyneton has regained star goaler Claire Oakley following a season in the Tasmanian Netball League with Launceston-based club Cavaliers.
Oakley, who is playing VNL with Melbourne University Lightning, will take her place alongside Michelle Fletcher in the goaling circle, giving the Tigers a potent combination sure to pose difficulties for opposing defences.
A Tigers line-up, which finished as the best team outside of finals last season with seven wins and a draw, has retained best and fairest winner Brooke Mangan, Rachelle Mangan, who was runner-up in the award, Jess Mangan, midcourters Lauren Anglin and Bec Ingleton and defender Tilly Shepherd.
They will again be coached by Dianne Guest-Oakley, who has been involved at Kyneton since 2017, and had the A-grade team on the cusp of finals the last three seasons.
With such a settled line-up, complemented by the reinclusion of goaler Oakley, expectations are that Kyneton can take next step and claim a spot in he five for the first time since 2014, when the Tigers finished the regular season in third position.
"The girls certainly know each other's games, so that's got to be a good thing," Kyneton netball operations manager Loryn Savoia said.
"They were really putting together some good netball at times last season, but probably lost a few games they shouldn't have.
"That will be a definite focus, starting games well and really clinching those close games.
"There was one we dropped against Eaglehawk (by one goal) and a draw against South Bendigo, which could have been wins.
"We're hoping we can be consistent this year and play finals. It's been a while since we played finals, but it's always got to be the aim."
The draw against South Bendigo was one of two good performances against the Bloods last season.
We're hoping we can be consistent this year and play finals. It's been a while since we played finals, but it's always got to be the aim
- Loryn Savoia
The Tigers lost by only six-goals in their round 13 encounter at the QEO.
They also challenged Castlemaine strongly on both occasions and Gisborne in a six-goal loss in round 11.
Kyneton has played a pair of practice matches against Riddell District league club Romsey and Daylesford, from the Central Highlands league.
Having struggled to fill some grades in recent years, the Tigers will field teams in all five BFNL divisions for the second straight season.
Savoia said a real cause for excitement was a stunning development involving the Tigers' juniors.
"We've actually got two 17-and-under teams," she said.
"We've entered a team into the Riddell league as well, which is very exciting.
"Hopefully, if we can retain them all, we've finally got some extra numbers coming through from the junior ranks, which is a real boost for the club.
"There were 16 girls who signed up originally and then once we trialled them and got a new coach, she brought another eight with her."
The Tigers open their season on the road against last year's 10th-placed team Golden Square before taking on reigning premiers Sandhurst in round two.
SEASON FIXTURE
ROUND 1 - April 15
v Golden Square (a)
ROUND 2 - April 22
v Sandhurst (h)
ROUND 3 - April 29
v South Bendigo (a)
ROUND 4 - May 6
v Maryborough (h)
ROUND 5 - May 13
v Gisborne (a)
ROUND 6 - May 27
v Castlemaine (h)
ROUND 7 - June 3
v Eaglehawk (a)
ROUND 8 - June 10
v Kangaroo Flat (h)
ROUND 9 - June 17
v Strathfieldsaye (a)
ROUND 10 - June 24
v Golden Square (h)
ROUND 11 - July 8
v Sandhurst (a)
ROUND 12 - July 15
v South Bendigo (h)
ROUND 13 - July 22
v Maryborough (a)
ROUND 14 - July 29
v Gisborne (h)
ROUND 15 - August 5
v Castlemaine (a)
ROUND 16 - August 12
v Eaglehawk (h)
ROUND 17 - August 19
v Kangaroo Flat (a)
ROUND 18 - August 26
v Strathfieldsaye (h)
BFNL SEASON PREVIEWS
HDFNL SEASON PREVIEWS
LVFNL SEASON PREVIEWS
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