Rams joining dots
If you want to back a winner of a football game of ‘join the dots’ in Horsham District league this year, Natimuk United appears a solid bet.
The environment east of the rock suggests the Rams are on the edge of completing the puzzle, with the chance of revealing something special this season.
Momentum is a word many bandy around in football circles, but that’s exactly what Natimuk United has been generating for the past few years.
The Rams, who in the past have suffered the indignity of being competition easy beats, have been undergoing a transformation and there is a sense a winning culture is taking hold.
Much of it has to do with the club’s netball success and it seems only a matter of time before the football side of the camp also enjoys profound celebrations.
That is certainly what coach Sam Anson, in his third year at the helm, is feeling in a pre-season build-up.
“I can honestly say that the feeling at the club is the best I’ve experienced since taking over the reins. It is looking exciting,” he said.
“There is a serious feeling of a build in club momentum, in culture and expectation – that something is about to happen. This type of feeling comes with internal pressure in the playing group, where depth creates a need for players to perform to hold their spot.”
Natimuk United has had a taste of finals for the past two years but on both occasions has tumbled from premiership contention in elimination games.
It stands to reason that club leaders are drawing on these results for inspiration this year.
“To put it lightly, that’s pretty much what’s burning inside,” Anson said.
“For us to reach the level and to say we’ve turned everything around – all the disappointments of the past – is 100 percent the plan.
“There are no ‘what ifs’, ‘buts’ or ‘maybes’, we have to move forward this year.”
One of the key elements stoking the fires of confidence is an enviable list of graduates emerging from the club’s under-17 ranks.
The Rams have 13 players stepping up, seven who had a taste of senior football last year.
Running alongside them at training this year are experienced Liam Offer and Matt Williams, rekindling old Horsham United connections, and newcomer Matt Riddell.
“They have already proved pivotal with their leadership and the guys are really looking up to them,” Anson said.
“Our player retention has been fantastic and our only loss has been Garry Hallam.
“While you always leave a recruiting list open, my focus now is to concentrate on our core group, which is more than capable of being successful this year.”
Anson said structuring up the team for specific circumstances would be priority this season.
Among plans are getting the formula right to exploit the club’s overhead marking power in attack.
“If we can structure up a way where our forwards can isolate their opponents there won’t be too many teams that will be able to match that firepower,” Anson said.
Club president Adam Blake agreed the Rams were shaping up for a big year and had high expectations.
“Last year we were really proud of winning the league club champion award,” he said.
“But we really want to keep building. The feeling is that last year on the footy field we held our ground and we really want to build on that this year,” he said.
“The club is running along well and there is a strong sense people are enjoying the environment.
“Critically, when it comes to the footy, there are no massive holes emerging.”
The Rams are back training at 6pm on Tuesday and Thursday nights.