PROFILE
ON the back of one of the closest A Grade seasons in recent history, Lake Boga will be one of the teams to beat this year.
After pressing their claims for much of last season as one of the four teams to beat, the Magpies eventually came up short – with a three-goal loss to eventual premiers Balranald in extra time ending their season in heartbreaking fashion.
While Balranald would go on to win their club’s first A Grade Central Murray premiership, it left Lake Boga still chasing theirs.
While safe in the knowledge that they aren’t far off the competition’s best sides, losses such as the semi-final can also galvanize a playing group – which is exactly what new coach Anne-Marie Stewart is hoping occurs to the Magpies.
“Losing any final is tough, but like all players that have experienced a loss, it does make you enjoy the wins so much better,” Stewart said.
With Anna Archie departing as coach and player during the off-season, the Magpies appointed Stewart to lead them in 2023.
Despite having had a lengthy break from coaching, Stewart needs no introduction, having previously coached both Woorinen and Swan Hill to premierships, along with a representative coaching history that includes junior and senior Interleague and regional teams.
With her appointment not coming until February, Stewart acknowledged that both herself and her players had plenty of ground to cover, with round 1 only a matter of weeks away.
But despite the late start, the veteran coach was also effusive in her praise of the playing group.
“I was only appointed a few weeks back, but training has been really good so far,” Stewart said.
“I’ve been impressed with the girls’ willingness to improve their fitness, to learn new drills and just how organised the netball club is – it has certainly made my job so much easier.
“In terms of how I’d like to see us play this season, I think all players should have a good mix of both attacking and defensive skills – and we’ll be working hard on that during the home-and-away season.”
The departure of Archie will not only leave a big hole to be filled in the Magpies midcourt, but also with her on-court leadership and experience. Exacerbating that problem will be the departure of experienced defender Felicity Robertson, with her partnership alongside Jemma Meehan a key factor in Lake Boga’s good form last year.
The Magpies have a ready-made Robertson replacement walking through the doors, with Tyntynder defender Maddy Gleeson pulling on the black and white in 2023, along with Tooleybuc-Manangatang’s Kara Leirich.
While Gleeson and Leirich are great pick-ups for Lake Boga, without doubt their biggest inclusion is Holly Hogan, the former Magpie returning to her home club.
Where Hogan best fits into the line-up is the biggest unknown, given the former league runner-up best and fairest is capable of playing any position on the court.
With both Sarah and Katie Hepburn returning in goals, Hogan could well be used through the midcourt to help cover the loss of Archie – and where she would also be the perfect foil for both Lily Brennan, Emma Peacock and Taigan O’Shannassy.
FROM THE COACH
“We are looking forward to being very competitive again this year. We’ll be doing plenty of work at training on improving our skill level and hopefully taking that into all our matches.”
KEY PLAYER
Jemma Meehan
While Holly Hogan’s return could well see her take over the mantle as Lake Boga’s best player, the one the Magpies can ill-afford to lose is Meehan. With Robertson having departed, the job of patrolling Lake Boga’s defensive half of the court will fall to Meehan, who is one of the competition’s most underrated defenders.
INS & OUTS
INS
Maddy Gleeson (Tyntynder)
Kara Leirich (Tooleybuc-Manangatang)
Holly Hogan
OUTS
Felicity Robertson
Anna Archie
Meg Rooney
