The region’s premier tennis division is stronger than ever and, at last, round one looms this weekend.
Goulburn Murray Lawn Tennis Association last week confirmed the entries of several new clubs ahead of season 2024-25, with the door remaining open for Shepparton North to cross over from Shepparton District Tennis Association in future.
Now, with the field all set and the administrative processes done, it’s finally time for all eyes to turn to the action on the courts as Saturday brings round one into effect.
Opening round will have three-time defending champions Numurkah Warriors begin another ambitious campaign in the four-team division with a meeting away at beaten grand finalists Velvet Tigers.
These two sides met on opening day last season as well and nothing will be guaranteed for the champions thinking back to that afternoon where the Nathalia-based outfit knocked them off on games, 6-78 to 6-67.
Though Numurkah Warriors’ Mark Mills is himself not lining up for round one due to injury, he keenly awaits the chance to focus on the games themselves.
“That’s always more of the fun bit,” Mills said.
“There are some early injury problems in our team, though, and we’ve lost John Brunner back to the Albury association, so we’ll have our work cut out coming off the premiership last year.
“I’m sure the other teams are a bit sick of us and will be out to knock us off, but I’m sure everyone has a player or two missing this weekend.
“Our stocks are a bit depleted, but we won’t use that as an excuse. I’m still a couple of weeks away after I fractured my foot, which is a shame, but I’ll be watching.
“We’ll blood some new players from the second division for the first month or so, which means we’re a little bit unknown.”
Mini-injury crisis or not, however, the resolve remains at Numurkah, which is surely understandable given the Warriors’ track record of pulling victories out when the chips are down.
Mills does acknowledge, however, that nothing will be served up favourably as the season first gets going.
“We’re a bit of the walking wounded at the moment,” Mills said.
“If we can sneak a win or two in the first month when we’re not at full strength, that will be pretty vital.
“We’ll work our way up from there and you never know what will happen late in the season, so we’ll be positive and go out there to play tennis.
“We know winning last year or winning the last three doesn’t mean anything coming into this season.”
In Saturday’s other game to raise the curtain on a new campaign, the two sides which missed grand final action will collide in a local derby as Shepparton Lawn The Valley takes on Average Joes.
Meanwhile, another Shepparton outfit in McEwen Reserve makes its debut as part of the competition’s GM2 division on the road to play Cobram Crocs, with no home game scheduled until round five in mid-November.
The Shepparton Junior Tennis Association season kicks off on Saturday across the region.
Strong numbers have been forecast, with 59 teams entered throughout the competition’s various grades.
Kyabram is a new entrant in a nine-team A-grade competition, while McEwen Reserve has returned after several years’ absence.