KOONDROOK-BARHAM
PROFILE
AFTER a winless 2023, the only way is up for the River Raiders, with the clubs investment in youth to continue this season under the tutelage of Will Callow.
It’s been a patient rebuild for the Koondrook-Barham faithful, and they will need to continue to be patient for a little while longer, with the Raiders facing a tough start to the season with games against top three teams Kerang, Balranald and NNW United within the first five rounds.
But while last year was one to forget, the positives were certainly starting to show by season’s end, with Callow and the Raiders brains trust encouraged by the performances of several young players, particularly Ryan Bassett, Xavier Leonard, Nick Frankling, Nathaniel Leonard and Will Lake.
“We have some good kids coming through, unfortunately we’ve lost Eli Boyd, who’s gone to Echuca, but there’s definitely some good kids coming through the system and they have the right attitude,” Callow said.
“We’re not looking for a flash in the pan, we want to build long term success and we know it’s not going to happen overnight but we’re taking steps in the right direction.
“We’ve got a pretty tough draw, there’s no hiding behind that, we play all the top three sides from last year twice and we’ve got them all in the first month, but the flip side of that is that it’s a great challenge for our young group.
“We’re going to attack that first month with nothing to lose, we see it as an opportunity to get out there and test ourselves against the best, because we want to improve and that’s the only way you can do it, is to play against the best.
“We’ve topped up with another five or six successful footballers from the Sunraysia area which will certainly help develop those talented kids, but development will still be the main focus for the season.”
Nathan Hamence is the one who comes to the Raiders with the greatest pedigree, having won five premierships with Irymple, multiple club best-and-fairests and the McLeod Medal as the Sunraysia Football League’s best and fairest. Hamence should slot straight into Koondrook-Barham’s midfield, along with Wentworth District pair Cambell Davison and Jordan McKinnon.
Also joining the River Raiders this season will be Nathan and Jason Hura and former VFL player Billy Driscoll, who won multiple premierships with the North Ballarat Roosters. But perhaps the biggest improvement will come from within, with spring heeled forward Kye Attwell set to return after missing last season with injury, with Callow looking forward to seeing what his new look forward line can produce.
“There’s a pretty obvious brand within the Central Murray and most teams play that slingshot footy across half back and we won’t be too much different,” Callow said.
“We’ve got a big ground there that can be hard to defend and we want to try and create a fortress at home for opposition teams to play at and with that be a fast, running side.
“Hopefully having Nathan Hura, along with Mitch Christensen and Kye Attwell, should be a pretty dangerous forward line.
“And with Billy Driscoll down there as well, all of a sudden we’ve got some firepower to hit the scoreboard with.
“We’ll be aiming to play fast, free flowing football and get it into those guys as quickly as we can, then hopefully we can challenge a few clubs.”
FROM THE COACH
“Coming off last year we just want to see some gradual improvement, the boys have had a really strong pre-season and it’s been really encouraging watching the team strive to improve, learn and develop. I can’t fault the attitude of the playing group and I think their desire to improve will hold us in good stead moving forward.”
INS & OUTS
INS: Cambell Davison (Wentworth), Jordan McKinnon (Wentworth), Nathan Hura (Bambill), Jason Hura (Bambill), Billy Driscoll (Navarre), Nathan Hamence (Irymple), Brayden Turvey (Murrabit).
OUTS: Harley Burmeister-Lyons (The Basin), Domenico Cirillo (Irymple), Dominic Dick-O’Flaherty (Elmore), Eli Boyd (Echuca), Colin McVeigh, Jake Lowry.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2024
Koondrook-Barham should be more competitive this season than last, with several new recruits and minimal departures of key players giving them the perfect opportunity to break their 17-match losing streak. While they are unlikely to challenge for finals, the main aim should be to get more games into their kids and stay competitive in games for longer.
Have enough talent up forward and through the middle to achieve this, although the jury is still out on how deep they will bat through the midfield and how their backline will stand up against the taller attacks of the Central Murray.
KEY PLAYER
Mitchell Christensen: Won Koondrook-Barham’s best and fairest in his first season at the club in 2023, and will once again be a key player for the tri-colours this year. Can play anywhere on the ground, from key forward and defence to running through the midfield, but is expected to settle into a more permanent forward role this season after also kicking the most goals for the River Raiders last year.
BIG IMPROVER
Ryan Bassett: Played just four senior games in 2023, but looks set to start the season in the seniors after a massive pre-season. Can play multiple positions at either end of the ground as a key marking target, but could well be most effective in the ruck where he can make full use of his athleticism. Has also been selected in the Bendigo Pioneers under-18 squad, so how much football he plays for the Raiders may be dictated by them.
THE BURNING QUESTION
How big of an impact can Kye Attwell have in 2024?
Of all the players the Raiders could least afford to lose last year, Attwell was the one, with their vice-captain playing just the first three matches until his season was derailed by glandular fever. But after a disappointing 12 months, Attwell is back on the park and looks set to make up for lost time, with the key forward having a big pre-season on the track.
How big of an impact can he have for the Raiders after missing almost a whole season however? If he can return to anywhere near his 2022 form then he will have a massive impact, especially as a key target in what looms as a threatening forward line.
KOONDROOK-BARHAM PREDICTED BEST 22
B. Josh McMahon – Scott Wood – Jack Thrum
HB. Ash Molin – Reagan Hamilton – Jack Shannon
C. Jordan McKinnon – Nathan Hamence – Corey Barrington
HF. Billy Driscoll – Kye Attwell – Mitchell Christensen
F. Jason Hura – Nathan Hura – Cameron Moore
R. Ryan Bassett – Cambell Davison – Patrick Goble
INT. Brayden Turvey – Jordan Bassett – Xavier Leonard – Nathaniel Leonard
