Lancefield is showing promising signs with a spate of new recruits, a solid preseason, and high player numbers already in the books ahead of the season’s start.
After a somewhat difficult 2023 campaign that saw the Tigers finish with just four wins to their name, coach Tim Bannan has moved the side along to address some of the key issues that plagued last year’s efforts.
“There were a couple of extra games that we probably could’ve won last season, but it was what it was, and we’ve moved on,” he said.
“We’ve had a really solid preseason so far, there were a couple of injuries early but we’re building another three or four players into the club that have been a really good added bonus for us.”
Joining the Tigers this year is Corey Reid, a former junior at Lancefield returning from Greensborough who is expected to make his presence known in the squad’s defensive line.
Adam Miles and Isaac Smithwick have both made the jump from Broadford, with the former expected to play a defensive role but may also make an impact through the midfield.
Ben Radford will join his younger brother Jack at Lancefield after stints in Yarrawonga and in the Victorian Amateur Football Association but has missed a chunk of the preseason due to a knee injury sustained in last year’s grand final with Parkside.
Bannan expected the fresh faces would help convert from appearances inside the forward 50, with finals the ultimate target for 2024.
“We shouldn’t be aiming for anything less to be honest, if we’re fair dinkum about it, sneaking a spot in the finals would be what the club is aiming for as a whole,” he said.
2023 premiers Diggers Rest requested to play Lancefield for the first round of the season, set to be a home match for the Tigers.
“There’s a reason why they got the premierships in the firsts and seconds … they’re going to be pretty hard to beat again,” he said.
“For us, we’ll see where we’re at. It’s going to take a few games for all the new guys to play a fair bit of footy together, but it’s a good challenge for us and we’re looking forward to it.”
Lancefield will also be fielding an under 19s side for 2024 under coach Jason Tully, who alongside reserves coach Cal Randall has drawn the praise of Bannan as the club looks to bolster its football department.
The RDFNL women’s division will also feature a new team for 2024, as Lancefield introduces its first-ever women’s team in response to growing interest at the club.
Netball
Despite a last-minute reshuffle for the Tigers’ netball teams, hopes are still high for what could be a much-needed rebuilding season for the club.
Former Macedon coach Ciara Stewart has joined Lancefield for 2024 as A and B Grade coach, with ambitions to return the club to winning form after a difficult few years.
“Being as optimistic as I can, the goal this season would be to win at least four games,” Stewart said.
“I believe we can actually exceed that with a strong lineup … but four wins is still more than what they’ve had in many years, so we thought we’d start with something very achievable.”
Lancefield lost a significant portion of its netballers from 2023, however among those returning is all-rounder Ella Stoward alongside forwards Mia Daly and Darcee Ellard, while B Grade sharpshooter Tarnee Hammond has been promoted to the top team.
Among the new recruits are former Macedon players Shanae Brundell and Karlee Bruno, as well as Victorian Netball League star Shaid Sasalu and encouraging prospects Bella Collodetti and Eve Trainor.
Stewart said with the number of new players joining Lancefield this year, focus would be placed on building a strong foundation for future seasons.
“It’s a growth year, so we’ll work really hard to retain these girls because they’re all quite young, so the main goal as a club is to retain them for 2025 so we can field the strongest team possible from who we have available,” Stewart said.
“We’d be stoked to just even be competitive against some of those top sides, which I believe we will be if we have a full, strong side.”
