The Redbacks are gearing up for their 150th birthday with a revitalised midfield set to spur the side on from last year’s middle-of-the-pack finish.
Romsey sneaked a spot in last year’s finals series and defeated Riddell in the elimination final but suffered a three-point defeat to Woodend-Hesket in the semi, an encouraging result for the underdogs at the time.
Club president Wayne Milburn said the team was in a fairly comfortable position after preseason.
“We retained most of our players, which is always good, and we’ve picked up a couple of new ones just to strengthen up the side a bit,” he said.
“If training is anything to go by, our numbers are pretty strong across the board and we’re still running at least 98 per cent local kids, so we believe we’ve got a strong side and we’re aiming high.”
Inside midfielders Ash Millane and Aaron Flavel have joined the Redbacks’ ranks, while former Gisborne players Oscar Schnoor and Connor Bills have also made the jump and are expected to make an impact across the field.
Ethan Beer will make his Romsey return in 2024 alongside multiple re-signed players including Nathan Blair, Darcey Lockens and Nathan Rayment.
2023 RDFNL leading goalscorer and Redbacks star Jack Jedwab has also been retained, however duties will be split between Romsey and Essendon’s VFL side following a major signing earlier this year.
Milburn said the high numbers of new and retained players was a testament to the club’s strong culture.
“It’s really quite comfortable for the club to see how everyone’s all in as one, there are no individual groups, they all train together, they all socialise together, they’re mates on and off the field, and that’s probably achieved by having a lot of local kids,” he said.
“As a committee, we couldn’t be any more proud of our culture.”
Romsey will also be celebrating its 150th anniversary during the season, set to be headlined by another historic match against longtime rivals Lancefield.
Netball
After a strong first season as Romsey’s netball coach that culminated in a finals appearance, Lena Way is looking to continue building and go further into the 2024 season.
Romsey’s A Grade team made it to last year’s semi-finals before being knocked out by Macedon, a performance that met the target Way set at the start of the season.
“I was really pleased that we were able to play off in two finals and finish in fourth with a brand new coach and brand new side,” she said.
“We’ve added some strengths to the team and my aim is to play in the premiership. The talent we have returning to the club and also the new players are very exciting.”
Former Romsey premiership players Lauren Anglin and Danielle Davidson are making their return to the side, while well-known Victorian Netball League and Super Netball player Shimona Jok will be joining the team for 2024.
Among those staying for another year are Maggie Lind and Lucia Fauonuku, with Lind the Redbacks’ A Grade best and fairest last season.
Way said while the main target was a grand finals berth, it was important to strike a balance between results and player growth.
“Our key from now on is retention and player development, an exciting aspect is we have a lot of girls from the junior club coming up to under 19s and I’m really impressed with the developments of those girls throughout preseason so far,” she said.
“Knowing that they have a strong A and B side to aspire to, I think it’s really important to set the benchmark and the standard at those more elite levels. It gives them something to really look forward to.”
