PROFILE
AFTER an exodus of key players, Tooleybuc-Manangatang will turn to local talent this season in order to kick start their rebuild.
In the finals hunt for much of last year, the Saints could have been considered a possible bolter for 2023, despite winning just one of their last five matches and finishing eighth.
But now, with four of their regular starters from last year’s side not returning, those hopes of being a finals contender would appear all but dashed – even before a game’s been played.
A Grade best and fairest Zoe Morris has departed for Swan Hill, while fellow goalie Carlee Hazlett crossed over to Woorinen, leaving Tooleybuc-Manangatang without a recognized goal scorer.
It isn’t just the attacking end of the court that has been hit by departures however, with goal keeper and talented youngster Taylen Blachford also moving clubs, this time to rivals Nyah-Nyah West United. The Saints will also be without Kara Leirich, who has moved to Lake Boga, and mid-courter Peyton Oliver, who was unsure of her netballing future.
With a lot of outs and not many ins, the situation leaves A Grade coach Mel Wait having to turn to her club’s youth to fill the gaps.
Thankfully for the Saints, the future looks bright, with junior teams experiencing a purple patch of form last season – culminating in a grand final appearance for the under-16s.
“We’ve got pretty strong juniors and a strong junior development program – we had some really good results at a junior level last season,” Wait said.
“We want to continue to work with those girls and give them opportunities to play senior netball which will be really important for both us as a club going forward and also their own personal development.
“Last year we had Jayda Plant and Olivia Fowler play A Grade and both of those girls will get opportunities to play again this year.
“Laura Zanker’s not a junior, but she’s another one who will get plenty of opportunity as she comes back from injury and hopefully she’ll be ready to play early in the season – she only played the first half of last season, so she’ll be a significant in for us and will make a big difference to our structure.”
While Wait is set to fast-track the development of a number of her players, the experienced coach is also bullish about a couple of her more experienced players, with both Amy Standen and Millie Holland continuing with the Saints in 2023.
“We’ll have a pretty consistent midcourt combination with Amy (Standen) and Millie (Holland) returning – Jayda (Plant) can also fill some of those gaps and run through there,” Wait said.
“Jayda could also play in goals as well, she’s very versatile, while we’ll most likely be looking to use some of our under-18 players to fill the other goalie positions.
“It’s going to be a year of recruiting from within and developing our juniors, that’s our one and only focus this season.
“We’re really keen to give all of them an opportunity and watch them grow and develop – we’re under no illusions that it’ll be tough from a win-loss perspective, but at the same time it’s quite exciting to see how they’ll go – it’ll be good for their development.”
FROM THE COACH
“Our focus this year is really on developing our juniors and giving them the best opportunities to play senior netball. We also want to continue to work on our culture and structure and make sure we’re playing strong, consistent netball and continue to develop as a club.”
KEY PLAYER
Laura Zanker
Returning from an Achilles injury, Zanker will return to the defence. She is an outstanding leader, which Tooleybuc-Manangatang will need with their young side, while her natural ability, combined with consistent effort, easily makes her the team’s most important player.
INS & OUTS
INS
None
OUTS
Taylen Blachford (NNW United)
Carlee Hazlett (Woorinen)
Zoe Morris (Swan Hill)
Kara Leirich (Lake Boga)
Peyton Oliver
