Ticking along nicely
Could this be the year Nhill footballers take the step Tigers’ faithful have been waiting for in Wimmera league competition? Perhaps. Nhill players have had a tough time of things during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, but an historic win against the Southern Mallee Giants, with their one-game marquee signing Dale ‘Daisy’ Thomas, made national headlines last year.
Their win broke the Tigers’ more than 1000-day winning drought, and with such a young group of Nhill-based talent, club leaders believe serious improvement is not too far away.
New club president Rob Bell said rebuilding plans remained as ‘focus local’.
“We got on the front foot early after the end of last season and started our recruitment drive. Things have been ticking along nicely,” he said.
“In terms of players, we are focused on bringing ex-locals and their families back to the club.
“You know what you are going to get when ex-locals return to the club, and when players and their families return, it adds more than just on-field talent.”
Returning senior coach Trevor Albrecht said the club agreed it would not pay big-name players from Adelaide or Melbourne unless they were ex-nhill and district players.
“We have our sights firmly set on the up,” he said.
“Fraser Driscoll will join us this season – he is a key-position-sized running player who was part of the Northern Territory all-star squad last season, as well as a few other ex-locals who will add to our midfield group.”
Albrecht said the club capitalised on young players gaining senior experience last season, which he believed would ‘pay-off’ when list depth became integral midway through the season.
“Our reserves side will be very strong this season, we believe, and you can’t do well at senior level without a strong reserves,” Albrecht said.
Albrecht said his players had opted to start their pre-season training in late October to give themselves a solid lead into the new season.
He said specialist fitness and forward-line coaches had joined the club – employed to handle target areas deemed as requiring improvement.
“Jim Phillip was brought in this season to handle the forward line – he was a great footballer and a smart footballer in his day, and he will add a lot to the club,” Albrecht said.
“Our biggest problem last season was that while we could hold teams in defence, we couldn’t kick enough goals ourselves.
“Kicking seven or eight goals a game just isn’t going to get you enough wins.
“We need to up our scoring frequency and have a well-functioning forward line to compete.”
Albrecht said his attitude was not to set 2023 season expectations either high or low, but to have an internal expectation the Tigers could beat the side they play against on a Saturday.
“I don’t coach to be competitive, but to competitively win,” Albrecht said.