There’s plenty of buzz around Riddell ahead of the Riddell District Netball League season.
With a new coach and some new young talent coming across to the club, the Bombers are excited by what is ahead.
New coach Beck Anstey said they were keen to get out on the court.
“We’re very excited and there have been some great new players come across,” she said.
“There is a buzz around the club and inquiries about joining the club. We’ve been very strategic with whom we have brought in and brought in some good key club people.
“There’s been so much support from the club and people jumping in to do a whole lot of work.”
After struggling for numbers in the lower grades last season, the Bombers have a full teams across board which is a big plus.
The A-grade side will be a bit younger than last season. Anstey will play in C-grade, while Lauren Nolan has stepped down to B-grade.
Chelsea Tobin is the other main out, due to work commitments.
Anstey said the playing group deserved a proper head coach and she couldn’t do that if she continued to play A-grade.
“It is hard being a player-coach successfully,” she said. “As soon as I took on the coaching reins, I was always going to favour one or another.
‘I’ll be in C-grade and have a bit of fun. Loz has stepped down to B-grade and will provide some more experience and help with the coaching.”
The big signing for the Bombers is Amy Starzer. Starzer was part of Diggers Rest’s premiership side last season and played in Rupertswood’s winning side in 2019.
Anstey, who played with Starzer at Rupertswood, said they were keen to have a third goaling option.
Brianna De Haas returns to the Bombers having most recently played at Lancefield.
“We’ve opened up three positions and we’ll have a really young side,” Anstey said.
“There’s a lot of young girls who have come across. Hopefully that group can be together for a long time and we can watch them develop over the years.”
The Bombers start their season on Good Friday against Woodend-Hesket, which is coming off a grand final appearance last year.
Anstey said they had a tough start to the season, but it was a challenge they were looking forward to.
She said the focus for them this season was to go further than last season and hopefully have all four teams in finals.
Tara Murray
