Back at it: Cobram's Tim Garlick in action last season. The new Murray Football Netball League season will kick off this weekend.
Photo by
Leonie Bourke
After what feels like an eternity, football and netball season is finally, at long last, back.
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The Murray Football Netball Season will get under way this weekend, with sirens and whistles to sound up and down the Murray.
It is a sound that has been sorely missed.
The six-month slog that is the home-and-away season will begin this Saturday, with both Barooga and Cobram eyeing finals football and netball.
But on the football field, the Hawks and Tigers will face very different challenges to get there.
For Cobram, it will be all about trying to stay at the pointy end of the ladder.
The Tigers were the benchmark of the Murray league in 2022, securing the minor premiership before coming agonisingly short — three points, to be exact — against Mulwala on grand final day.
But the key pillars of that side have departed, meaning Cobram will be relying on a new-look team to return it to the finals.
Izac Artavilla, Adam DeCicco, Tyron Baden and Lewis McShane have all left for Shepparton, while Darcy Pridham-McCormack is off to Strathmerton, all leaving big shoes to fill.
Star player: Riley Gow won Barooga's best-and-fairest prize last year after leading the Hawks in goals with 38 majors.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
Meanwhile for Barooga, the Hawks will be hoping to fight their way into the top six after a turbulent season in 2022.
A coaching change midway through last year derailed Barooga’s campaign, with the Hawks missing the finals by a whopping seven games.
Now though, with some new recruits joining the flock and new coach Luke Jarjoura at the helm, things are looking up.
Two teams with two different challenges. So where will they finish on the ladder this season.
Predictions can be tough but I am ready to make a key tip: both Cobram and Barooga will make the finals in 2023.
2018 was the last time both the Hawks and Tigers finished in the top six and I am confident it will happen again this year.
There is no denying Cobram’s list is not as strong as last year’s. How could it possibly be, given the calibre of the players it has lost?
But with mastermind John Brunskill as coach and with Cobram boasting one of the best junior programs in the league, I believe that some new faces will give the Tigers plenty of bite.
For Barooga, the Hawks have been preparing for this campaign for months and months, with the pre-season starting way back in October.
That hard work will pay off.
Jarjoura is coming off successful coaching stings in Sydney, while players like Nick Gooch, who recently won the NTFL Premier Division grand final with Waratahs, will bolster the Hawks’ ranks.
Gun midfielder Riley Gow is likely to be key for the Hawks once again, leading the side with 38 goals last season and winning the club’s best-and-fairest prize.
Local rivalry: Cobram and Barooga will face off twice in 2023, firstly in round two and then again in round 11.
Photo by
Daniel Webb
On the netball court, I am predicting more positivity in 2023.
The Hawks and Tigers finished 10th and 11th respectively last season, but I think they will make steady improvements this year.
Both teams notched four wins last campaign, but I am anticipating they will both record at least six victories this time around, with finals netball a real possibility.
Matt Healey and the Hawks have had a big focus on growing the junior program, and I think that will pay dividends on the court this year.
Meanwhile for Cobram, the appointment of Robbie Glass as coach will prove to be an inspired move that helps give the Tigers plenty more bite.
Six months of football and netball action now awaits, and I can’t wait to watch it all unfold.
But once the season is all done and dusted, I think both Cobram and Barooga will be celebrating successful campaigns in both football and netball in 2023.
Cobram will host Nathalia in round one, while Barooga will travel to Congupna, with all games on Saturday, April 1.
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