PROFILE
Despite entering 2023 as the great unknown, it won’t take long for newcomers Nullawil to find where they fit in the pecking order – with a Round 1 encounter against premiers Birchip-Watchem their first test.
Having moved from the Golden Rivers, where they have dominated the past five years, the Maroons are primed to make a splash in their debut season in the North Central under 2022 premiership coach Brett Barker. With everyone – including Nullawil – unsure how competitive their team will be against the established North Central sides, the Maroons have taken no chances – not only re-signing the bulk of their premiership winning squad, but also adding another nine impactful players to their senior list.
With their first match just weeks away, Barker revealed just how eager everyone at the club was for the new era to begin – including both players and supporters.
“It’s exciting, the move has definitely reinvigorated everyone a little bit and everyone’s pretty keen to see how we go – new league, new challenge,” Barker said.
“We’ll know where we’re at after Round 1 when we play the premiers (Birchip-Watchem) and see where we’re at – we’ve had it pencilled in the diary for a fair while now and the whole playing group are looking forward to it.”
While already being a massive strength, Nullawil’s midfield will once again be a key driver in their success. Daniel Watts, Matt Quigley, Jonathan Casey and Jordan Humphreys will all return, while they’ve also added former VFL player Sam Stephens, former Maroon Dean Smith and the Caccaviello brothers, Lucas and Zac.
The other big strength for Nully will be their forward line, with East Keilor full-forward Nick Grigg set to partner Mitch Farmer and Andrew Oberdorfer. But while they’re pretty settled forward of centre, Barker said the team’s main focus would be on their defence – which hasn’t been genuinely tested for a number of years.
“We’ll have a big focus on team defence, which seems to be a bit of a theme in the North Central,” Barker said.
“We haven’t added too many to our backline, but we’ll play a few of our midfielders across half back to provide a bit of run, which will help out.”
FROM THE COACH
“We always play to win and we’d love to win the premiership, but going into a new league, it’ll be a lot more difficult. I really don’t know where we’ll fit in, but we’d expect to be pretty competitive – we’ll have a better idea after Round 1.”
KEY PLAYER
Matt Quigley
The 2021 EG Hunt Medallist will once again be a player to watch. His ability to break the lines, combined with class by hand and foot, make him one of Nullawil’s most important playmakers. Could split his time between half back and the midfield this season.
INs & OUTs
INs
Dean Smith (Mooroopna)
Lucas Caccaviello (Mooroopna)
Zac Caccaviello (NNW United)
Sam Stephens (West Footscray)
Adam Thomson (Gol Gol)
Mark Thomson (Werrimull)
Jarrod Taylor (Lake Boga)
Austin Hogan (Glenroy)
Nick Grigg (East Keilor)
James Barker
OUTs
Cameron Streeter (Retired)
