![The Nullawil team that won last year's Golden Rivers league premiership. The Maroons have joined the North Central league as its ninth club this year. Picture by Golden Rivers FNL The Nullawil team that won last year's Golden Rivers league premiership. The Maroons have joined the North Central league as its ninth club this year. Picture by Golden Rivers FNL](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/G3M3FqVFYHjdnjXX9zgHHX/25ead1b4-5e44-42eb-a820-c35381588376.jpg/r0_103_526_467_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
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AFTER an entree serving a fortnight ago with the Loddon Valley league getting under way, the region's football-netball action moves into full swing on Saturday.
The Bendigo, Heathcote District and North Central leagues all get their 2023 seasons under way on Saturday alongside round two of the Loddon Valley.
The North Central league kicks off 2023 having expanded from eight clubs to nine with the addition of Nullawil.
Known as the Maroons, Nullawil joins the NCFL from the Golden Rivers league where it has won the past three premierships in 2018, 2019 and 2022 - there was no premier crowned in 2020 and 2021.
The NCFL opens with what is very much a unique match-up given there will be two 2022 premier teams facing off with the Maroons travelling to take on Birchip-Watchem, who won last year's NCFL flag.
"It's really exciting for the club; there's a really good vibe and we're looking forward to Saturday," Nullawil president Grant Kelly said on Friday.
"We're grateful that we've managed to get here."
The Maroons joining the NCFL in 2023 comes a year after they had initially tried to enter the competition in 2022, but were unable to get a transfer approved.
Kelly says the core reason behind the move to a new home is based around location and the club's capacity to recruit.
"All our recruits coming out of Melbourne and Bendigo have a lot less travel in the North Central league," Kelly said.
"It's going to be a lot better for us to come this way in terms of our ability to recruit and that's the primary reason for the move.
It's going to be a lot better for us to come this way in terms of our ability to recruit and that's the primary reason for the move
- Grant Kelly - Nullawil president
"We felt we had exhausted all our avenues out of Swan Hill given there's a lot of sides pulling players from Swan Hill and surrounding areas. We were getting most of our recruits out of Bendigo and Melbourne, so it's a lot less travel for them in this league.
"For the survival of the club we felt it the best interest to go to North Central."
As for expectations in the club's inaugural season in the competition, finals are very much the goal for the Maroons, who will again be coached by defender Brett Barker.
"We hope to be very competitive against the top sides and our aim is to make the finals... that's what we're here for," Kelly said.
"We know the top three sides (Birchip-Watchem, Donald and Sea Lake Nandaly) are extremely good, so it's a challenge we're looking forward to."
The Maroons will field a full quota of football and netball sides, but haven't entered into the North Central's hockey competition.
"No hockey at this stage; we'll never say never to it, but we're a very small community at Nullawil and we just want to get the football and netball playing first and we'll then see what happens after that," Kelly said.
NCFL round one - Birchip-Watchem v Nullawil, Wedderburn v Charlton, Donald v Wycheproof-Narraport, Boort v Sea Lake Nandaly. St Arnaud bye.
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IN the Heathcote District league new Colbinabbin coach Jed Brain is preparing for a tough encounter at home against a Heathcote side that is hellbent on ending its finals drought.
The Saints haven't played finals since 2013, but coach Andrew Saladino has put together a list that looks well-placed to build on the big steps taken forward last year.
And with Colbinabbin again expected to be around the mark, it shapes as an enticing round one encounter at M.J. Morgan Oval.
"Heathcote was certainly no pushover last year and with what they've picked up with their recruits, I think they will be really pushing up this year," said Brain, who will have to make his coaching debut from the sidelines through suspension.
"It's a big game for both clubs to start the season... it has been a while since Colbo and Heathcote have gone to a game of footy against each other probably thinking this is going to be a tight game.
"We're really looking forward to it and I think a few of the older people around the club are really looking forward to a big Colbo-Heathcote game."
It has certainly been a one-sided match-up over the past decade, with Colbinabbin having won its past 16 games against Heathcote by an average of 71 points.
While the Grasshoppers' focus is firmly on the Saints heading into round one, in a fortnight's time they will have former Hawthorn captain and dual Hawks' premiership player Ben McEvoy, who retired last season, to play a one-off game against Mount Pleasant in round three.
McEvoy's brother, Matt, is back playing with the Grasshoppers this year, while other brother, former Coburg VFL player Peter McEvoy, will also line-up for Colbinabbin against the Blues on April 29.
HDFNL round one - Colbinabbin v Heathcote, North Bendigo v Mount Pleasant, Huntly v Elmore, Leitchville-Gunbower v White Hills. LBU bye.
Tips:
Luke West - Colbinabbin, North Bendigo, Huntly, White Hills.
Adam Bourke - Heathcote, Mount Pleasant, Huntly, White Hills.
HDFNL SEASON PREVIEWS
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IT will be a big day for Marong when the Panthers unfurl three Loddon Valley league premiership flags.
The Panthers made a clean sweep of the senior, reserves and under-18 flags last year and will unfurl all three when they host Inglewood on Saturday.
The Panthers are already off to a flyer in their senior premiership defence after belting Maiden Gully YCW by 127 points in their season-opener.
Saturday will be the first look at what's considered to be the biggest threat to the Panthers' back-to-back bid, Pyramid Hill, with the Bulldogs after a round one bye taking on Calivil United.
LVFNL round two - Calivil United v Pyramid Hill, BL-Serpentine v Newbridge, Marong v Inglewood, Bridgewater v Maiden Gully YCW. Mitiamo bye.
Tips:
Luke West (4) - Pyramid Hill, BL-Serpentine, Marong, Bridgewater.
Adam Bourke (4) - Pyramid Hill, BL-Serpentine, Marong, Bridgewater.
LVFNL SEASON PREVIEWS
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