By Marcus Uhe
Coach: Steven Kidd
Captains: Trent Papworth and Joel Zietsman
2023: 1st (15/1), runner up to Wandin in Outer East Football Netball Premier Division grand final.
Ins: Joshua West (Berwick), Joshua Taylor (Powelltown), Nicholas Flegg (Warragul), Aaron Rickards (Catani).
Outs: Lachlan Benson (South Belgrave), Harrison Brain (Nar Nar Goon), Cameron Miller (Berwick Springs), Ryan Patterson (Hampton Park), Bailey Mayworm (Hampton Park), Ryan Quirk (Drouin), Jake Richardson (Overseas), Tom Miller (Wodonga).
10 to watch: Kurt Mutimer, Peter Gentile, Will Howe, Trent Papworth, Tom Toner, Riley Siwes, Hamish West, Joshua West, Jesse Davies, Sam Toner.
Playing twice: Pakenham, Monbulk, Emerald, Wandin, Officer, Olinda Ferny Creek, Mt Evelyn.
Expected finish: 4th
FIXTURE
Round 1: Saturday 6 April v Pakenham (H)
Round 2: Saturday 20 April v Emerald (A)
Round 3: Saturday 27 April v Wandin (H)
Round 4: Saturday 4 May v Officer (A)
Round 5: Saturday 11 May v Olinda Ferny Creek (H)
Round 6: Saturday 18 May v Monbulk (A)
Round 7: Saturday 25 May v Gembrook Cockatoo (A)
Round 8: Saturday 1 June v Berwick Springs (H)
Round 9: Saturday 15 June v Mt Evelyn (A)
Round 10: Saturday 22 June v Woori Yallock (H)
Round 11: Saturday 29 June v Upwey Tecoma (A)
Round 12: Saturday 6 July v Pakenham (H)
Round 13: Saturday 13 July v Emerald (A)
Round 14: Saturday 20 July v Officer (H)
Round 15: Saturday 3 August v Wandin (A)
Round 16: Saturday 10 August v Monbulk (H)
Round 17: Saturday 17 August v Olinda Ferny Creek (H)
Round 18: Saturday 24 August v Mt Evelyn (A)
A new-look Narre Warren side will be eager to write the wrongs of a near-perfect 2023 that ended in heartbreak.
The Magpies, who won 16 consecutive matches on their way to another grand final berth, fell in a crashing heap on Outer East grand final day last season in the form of a thumping defeat at the hands of Wandin.
The Bulldogs broke the game open with a sizzling 10-minute burst to close the first half and never looked back, romping away with a 63-point win.
The off-season that followed saw a number of key faces depart, and a ramp-up in training loads, having been exposed for fitness standards in the eyes of the players and coaching staff, according to incoming coach Steven Kidd.
“We’ve spoken about (the grand final loss) and perhaps we feel that our training standards dropped a little, and we’ve certainly been working pretty hard to rectify that,” Kidd said.
“When we’re on the training track, just train the ‘Narre’ way.
“We added an extra boxing session, so four boxing sessions on Friday nights in February, to try and get ourselves a little bit fitter.”
The losses are significant, headlined by the last two Shane Smith medal winners in former skipper Jake Richardson and Tom Miller, while the likes of Lachlan Benson, Cameron Miller and Harrison Brain all played important roles in black in white in previous seasons and will leave significant holes.
Much of the water-tight backline, however, remains in-tact.
To watch Narre Warren defend at times in 2023 was akin to watching a game of Squash – when the ball left their forward 50, it would hit a wall and come back just as quickly the other way thanks to a hard press.
With Trent Papworth and Joel Zietsman leading from behind, the Magpies will be hard to score against, and still possess firepower further ahead to mitigate the absences of those who departed the nest.
Dynamic forward Will Howe topped the goal kicking last season, Tom Toner, Brad Scalzo and Kurt Mutimer will form the basis of the midfield crop, and Peter Gentile’s retirement from VFL football allows for a full season in black and white, with Kidd earmarking him for a major role once he returns.
Players such as Jesse Davies, Riley Siwes, Hamish West and youngsters, including 2023 Under 19 league best-and-fairest winner Sam Toner, have the opportunity to take leaps and bounds in their footballing journey, and lead the makings of a new era, with over half of the 22 that claimed the 2022 premiership no longer calling Kalora Park home.
Pakenham and Wandin in two of their opening three fixtures presents a tough beginning to the year in which will require patience as they mould under Kidd’s leadership.
But don’t expect them to completely fall away; winning is in the club’s DNA, and they can be expected to challenge for a finals position once again.
“We are working on a bit of a changed-up game plan,” Kidd said.
“We‘re probably just going to slowly work at that, take it week by week and hope that we hit the middle of the year and hit our straps.”
