Hungry for a premiership
Horsham Saints are little more than two years removed from back-to-back premierships, but listening to senior coach Luke Fisher speak it sounds like a lifetime.
While the team has been far from a pushover during the past two seasons – playing finals both years – Fisher said his charges were hungry to ascend to premiership contention again in 2019.
The Saints were eliminated from the finals in cruel fashion last year after squandering a 30-13 quartertime lead against Ararat to lose by seven points.
Fisher said continued improvement from young players such as Sam Clyne, Jacob O’beirne, Sam Jasper and Andrew Devereaux could provide a way forward for the team this season.
“The boys have come to the pre-season really motivated to get back to the top and get back to that feeling of winning the whole thing again,” he said.
“I think a few guys are really motivated to have that success again, which is good.
“In terms of what we have to do to get back there, we’ve still got a young group with a lot of guys who are only in their early 20s and are playing some fantastic footy.
“If they can continue to get better, more consistent and grow as leaders to drag the rest of the group with them, that will lead to us winning that final that we lost last year.
“There was only a goal in it, so it’s key moments that could make a big difference.”
A positive for the Saints last season was the fact they beat every team except Ararat, including a 28-point win against eventual premier Horsham in round 10.
Fisher said the results showed his team was not far off its former premiership standard.
“We feel like if we can play a similar style to what we did last year and sharpen up a few areas, there’s no reason why we can’t give it a good tilt,” he said.
“If we could beat nearly everyone last year and we grow again this year, that should put us right in the mix.
“We try not to focus on what other teams are doing and just worry about ourselves, and our hope is to go as deep into finals as we can.
“You’re always a chance when you get to the finals in the Wimmera league because it’s a fairly close competition.”
The Saints’ task will be made harder by the loss of several senior players.
Nathan Clough and Nathan Byrne have departed for the Horsham District Football Netball League, Clough to Pimpinio and Byrne to Noradjuhaquantong.
Kieren Priestly will play for the Glen Waverley Hawks in Melbourne’s Eastern Football League and Brayden Helyar has joined Geelong’s VFL Development League squad.
A clearance is also pending for Fergus O’connor to join the Wonthaggi Power in the Gippsland League.
The Saints’ list of recruits is not long, but contains the big name of Angus Martin.
Martin was named the Horsham District league’s best under-21 player last season, and Fisher said he would be a welcome addition to the Saints’ lineup.
“Angus can really play anywhere. He can play key position forward or back,” he said.
“He played in a practice match the other night and did a really good job in the ruck, so he will be a good chop out for Michael Rowe in the ruck as well.
“He’ll be handy for us all over the ground and will provide the height that we’ve been looking for.”
Fisher said Angus Gove, who played most of last season for the Greater Western Victoria Rebels, would play for the Saints full-time and be ‘as good as a recruit’.