PROFILE
HAVING broken an eight-year finals drought last season, Wedderburn are hoping natural improvement will have them perfectly placed to take the next step in 2023.
With very few changes to their playing list, the Redbacks are pinning hopes on a young and dynamic group of locals that have spent years playing and developing together, with last year showing evidence they are finally on the right path.
With Sam Barnes continuing as coach, Wedderburn go into this season as a team ready to take the next step – and one with a very simple game plan.
“We’ll keep things pretty similar to last year, we’ll try and play as accountable as we can, cause opposition turnovers and then go from there,” Barnes said.
“We figure if we don’t allow the opposition to get six uncontested possessions in a row, then we’ll win the ball back somewhere and then hopefully we can use it better than them.
“Our skills were probably the difference between us beating the better teams or not beating them last season, we just coughed it up too often.
“We’ve been working on that a fair bit across the pre-season, but it’s on our boys to improve our footy smarts and to get a bit more vocal around the contest – that will be the key to improving.”
While the bulk of last year’s team remains, including gun onballer Jordan Rosengren, one player who won’t return is best and fairest Hamish Winter-Irving.
His absence will leave a big hole up forward, however the return of key position swingman Luke Brown, who’ll partner Tom Campbell in attack, should help offset that loss.
While the Redbacks may be a bit weaker in front of goals, the same can’t be said for their defence, with the club gaining the services of Kangaroo Flat centre half back Hamish Lockhart, with Barnes keen to see what his star recruit can produce at his new club.
“I think Hamish Lockhart’s set for a big year with the way he’s been presenting himself at training,” Barnes said.
“I think the way he plays and with his athletic ability, he’ll definitely enjoy playing on the bigger grounds.”
FROM THE COACH
“I think we’ll be pretty similar to last year – we’ve got a very young group that have improved every year, they’ve played a lot of juniors together and now they’re playing seniors together as well. If we can keep getting improvement out of them, we should as a team keep lifting as well.”
KEY PLAYER
Tom Campbell
A genuine A-grade key forward, Campbell is the barometer of the Redbacks line-up. Booted a team high 46 majors last season and looks set to lead the attack once again.
INS & OUTS
INS
Hamish Lockhart (Kangaroo Flat)
Luke Brown (returning)
OUTS
Hamish Winter-Irving
Ben DeAraugo
