After arguably one of the longest pre-seasons to hit Cricket Shepparton in recent memory, the first overs will be bowled and first boundaries will be struck on Saturday.
It shapes up to be another captivating Haisman Shield campaign, one that promises plenty of twists and turns.
Can Mooroopna secure a third-straight title and stamp its dynasty?
Will Kyabram bounce back from last year’s grand final heartache?
And who will replace Liam Evans as the best player in the competition?
These are questions that will be answered in the next few months.
To give our readers some insight into how each of the 13 teams will fare this summer, The News sports team has compiled a team-by-team season preview.
Central Park-St Brendan’s
Last year: Fifth (10-2)
In: Mason Reeves
Out: Tim Kelly
Club comment — Tyler Larkin (coach)
“We have still got a bit of a dirty taste in our mouth from the way that we finished last year,” Larkin said.
“We were probably one of the most consistent sides until the last two games and if you want to win premierships you have got to play your best at the right time.
“From our side’s perspective we are champing at the bit and ready to go as we hope to go a couple of steps better this year.”
Prediction — Second
For all those involved with Central Park-St Brendan’s it has been a restless winter.
The pacesetter for much of the 2021-22 Haisman Shield season, the Tigers simply peaked too early, surrendering top spot on the ladder to Waaia in the final round before being upset by Kyabram in an elimination final the next week.
The challenge for coach Tyler Larkin and his cast of stars is to avoid a repeat this time around and get Central Park back to the position its fans have been so accustomed to during the past two decades.
Sporting the same nucleus of players as last season, skipper Brendan Scott, Larkin and Rhiley Lau head a batting unit littered with star talent.
While with the ball it will once again be ageless wonder Ramadan Yze leading the way, with the support of veterans Dwain Vidler and Jarrod Wakeling sure to wreak havoc on opposing top orders.
Looking at this side on paper it is hard to find a more talented group of cricketers, whether that translates to premiership glory, we will have to wait and see.
Euroa
Last year: 11th (3-9)
In: Siva Velagala,
Out: Fraser Ellis, Josh Robertson
Club comment — Andrew Squires (coach)
“To be fair, the footy club's success has meant limited preparations, which caused pre-season to be put back, so everyone is still a little bit green,” Squires said.
“That has affected us a fair bit. The fitness side is not the drama; it will be getting the skills up.
“We always aim to play finals and the best cricket we can. (We’re) still a very young side, and we are looking to build the team through the year.”
Prediction — 12th
Euroa will be hoping for a much better season, but with a few changes to the playing group, it could be a tricky season, given the delayed start and the changing format.
It will be a year for the young talent to step up with Fraser Ellis leaving for Wangaratta Magpies, due to work commitments, and handy top-order batter Josh Robertson out of the side as well.
Considering the chaos of what the season could bring and the football team's success, it could rub off on the Magpies.
Karramomus
Last year: 12th
In:
Out: Jackson Thomson
Club comment — Mitch McGrath (captain)
“We’re probably a similar group to last year, we’re building up given the limited preparation. I think the boys have started to grow up and improve, which will make us a dangerous side,” McGrath said.
“We are looking to be pretty aggressive with bat and ball, and with the juice in the wicket, I think we could cause a few upsets early in the season, especially with our four quick bowlers.”
Prediction — 13th
Karramomus will look to put the struggles of last year behind them for the upcoming summer.
With a young group to build around, it looks like it will be another year of development for the Bloods.
With pitches across Shepparton going to be more suited to bowling, they could, as McGrath says, be a surprise packet for the season.
The Bloods will be banking on emerging bowler Lachlan Keady to continue his excellent form with the ball from last season.
Katandra
Last year: Ninth (4-7)
In: James Lythgoe, James Dawson and Will Harries.
Out: Nil.
Club comment — Ben Clurey (captain)
“It’s going to be great to be back on the home deck,” Clurey said.
“We had a practice match there on the weekend just gone, it held up pretty well, so hopefully the rain holds off after the warmer weather we had this week.
“We’re hoping to get an all-round contribution from everybody, obviously there’s quality players who have been here for forever and a day like Jedd (Wright) and Hadleigh (Sirrett), they’re both match-winners with bat and ball.
“If we can get a bit more consistency around them, especially with our batting efforts, that’s our goal this year.”
Prediction — Seventh
A promising 2021-22 had Katandra finish in ninth, missing out on finals after a draw and three straight losses brought its season to a close.
A rocky start, including shock losses to Euroa and Tatura set the tone for a topsy-turvy campaign.
But eye-catching victories over Northerners and Old Students and narrow losses to premiership hopefuls showed the competition what the Eagles were capable of when playing their best cricket.
A return to their home track after a year away is sure to work wonders, and with a trio of UK imports set to bolster the Eagles’ batting and bowling stocks, Ben Clurey’s men look poised to go above and beyond their mediocre 2021-22 season.
Kyabram
Last year: Second (9-6)
In: Adam Nunn, Jayden Tucker
Out: Paul Newman
Club comment — Jackson McLay (coach)
“We’re a very similar group to last year with the only change being Paul Newman going out and Adam Nunn and Jayden Tucker coming in,” McLay said.
“For us the goal is to have fun, get back out on the park and just keep improving, based on last year we’re not far away and hopefully with a couple of new additions we can go one better.”
Prediction — Fifth
It has been a case of so close yet so far for Kyabram in recent years.
Qualifying for the finals in each of the past five seasons ― including reaching the decider last year ― the Redbacks have been a beacon of consistency, but are still yet to taste Haisman Shield glory.
So could this finally be the year they climb the mountain?
Well with star skipper Kyle Mueller leading the batting stocks and coach Jackson McLay terrorising opposition with ball in hand, Kyabram is a good a chance as any.
It will, however, be without Goulburn Valley cricket star Paul Newman for this year’s premiership assault, but has gained Tongala duo Adam Nunn and Jayden Tucker to boost its depth.
Mooroopna
Last year: Premier (11-3)
In: Henry Barrow, Nick Breslin
Out: Will Dundon, Brady Mulcahy, Ethan Anderson, Corey Windridge
Club comment — Luke Zanchetta (Mooroopna)
“It starts again for us (this year),” Zanchetta said.
“We are raring to go and want to commend Cricket Shepparton for their great work during this tricky time and getting the season up.”
Prediction — First
Mooroopna is the team to fear again with the reigning premier a big chance to clinch its third straight Haisman Shield.
If the Cats do the three-peat, they will be the first team since Central Park-St Brendan’s, which achieved the feat in the 2014-15 season.
The Cats have lost four quality players, however, have welcomed back former star talent and gun opening quick Henry Barrow.
The partnership of Barrow and opening bowler Luke Zanchetta will be another box office watch.
The addition of talented bat Nick Breslin is another major coup and one that strengthens the top-order.
A player to watch is bowling all-rounder Jake Wright, who was crucial in last year’s grand final, and will be essential to Mooropna’s premiership defence.
Nagambie
Last year: Sixth (8-4)
In: Zac Winter-Irving, Jarryd Shepherd
Out: Nathan Fothergill, Josh Sanderson
Club comment — Mark Nolan (captain)
“We’re feeling pretty confident, we’ve made the finals every year since we came in, so we’ll be looking to do that again,” Nolan said.
“We’ll be looking to start the season well because we didn’t do that at all last year, so the aim will be to bank wins early and put ourselves in the best position leading into the finals.
“There’s a lot of exciting young guys coming through the club at the moment and I’m confident we’ll be able to take the next step this year.”
Prediction — Sixth
Since entering Cricket Shepparton in 2018 Nagambie has established itself as a perennial Haisman Shield contender, qualifying for the finals in each of the past four seasons.
But for captain Mark Nolan and his troops, this season offers up an opportunity to forge into uncharted waters and deliver Nagambie its first Haisman Shield triumph.
As has been the case for much of the past four seasons, the Nolan brothers, Mark and Luke, will be pivotal to the Lakers’ hopes of success.
But it isn’t just the Nolan show at Nagambie, with a mixture of experienced campaigners like Ricki Misiti and Tyrone Muir and youth of Jono Moore and James Auld sure to have the Lakers around the mark again in 2022-23.
Northerners
Last year: Seventh (7-5)
In:
Out: Joel Brett, Nick Breslin, Harvey Walker, Tim Belford, Tom McGee
Club comment — Steve Allen (coach)
“We are going to have a new-look side this year, but I think the biggest positive from the departure of some of these guys is that it gives some of the juniors that have come through the club an opportunity in the A-grade,” Allen said.
“Last year was the first time we hadn’t made finals in a fair while and potentially it was our best side on paper, so despite the changes we still have positive expectations.
“With a young team there may be some inconsistent performances, but I still think that with the side we’ve got our best will be more than competitive.”
Prediction — Eighth
Season 2022-23 appears to be one of drastic change for Northerners.
After narrowly missing the finals last year, the Jets experienced somewhat of an exodus during winter, with seasoned stars such as Joel Brett, Nick Breslin, Harvey Walker, Tim Belford and Tom McGee leaving the club.
But while these departures leave a number of gaping holes in the Northerners XI, it also creates opportunities for a host of youngsters to push up into the A-grade and contribute.
Whether this new wave can propel the Jets back into the finals is anyone’s guess, but expect the boys from Tallygaroopna to still remain competitive and challenge the competition’s top sides.
Numurkah
Last year: Fourth (8-5)
In: Tim Arnel, Connor Mcelligott, Luke Viney
Out:
Club comment — Dylan Grandell (captain)
“We are really looking forward to the season, we are expecting it to be a good year,” Grandell said.
“We’ve kept a pretty a similar squad to last year, Michael Eckard has committed again, but won’t coach, with Liam Gledhill taking over that role and Tim Arnel is coming back from injury and bringing across a couple of English boys as well.
“The goal for this year is to just enjoy our cricket across all three grades, improvement across the club will be keen as we hope to qualify for the finals, outside of that we won’t put any limitations on ourselves.”
Prediction — Third
Numurkah enters the new season with high expectations and for good reason.
A perennial Haisman Shield contender for much of the past five years, the Blues are a team riddled with elite talent, with seasoned stars such as Liam Gledhill, Michael Eckard and Dylan Grandell set to lead the Numurkah premiership assault once again.
Club stalwart Tim Arnel also makes his return to the line-up this summer and brings English duo Connor Mcelligot and Luke Viney with him to further add to the Blues’ embarrassment of riches.
A team that knows how to win at the pointy of the season, expect Numurkah to once again be vying for the crown come finals time.
Old Students
Last year: 10th (3-8)
In: Josh Robertson, Tom McGee
Out: Connor Hangan, Gino Saracino
Club comment — Gino Saracino (coach)
“The key for us this year is continuing to improve, we’ve got quite a young side in A-grade, but the expectation is that every game we go out there and perform to the best of our ability,” Saracino said.
“There are lots of parts of our game we want to improve on, but I feel with the depth we have at the club through all grades there will be some very exciting organic growth from our young guys this season.
“Our game plan will be all about discipline, doing the little things right and hopefully that translates to wins.”
Prediction — 10th
For the brainstrust at Old Students, improvement will be the major focus in season 2022-23.
Sporting a team littered with up-and-coming stars like Callan McCabe, Felix Odell, Liam Callegari and Luke McPhillamy, the potential is certainly there for the boys from Kialla Park to challenge the top teams and push for a finals berth.
But for coach Gino Saracino, greater consistency will be key as they look to eradicate the batting collapses that plagued them last season.
While a premiership assault still might be a couple of years away, 2022-23 presents as a wonderful opportunity to build a platform for future success.
Shepparton United
Last year: 13th (1-11)
In: Rehan Bari, Sam Nash.
Out: Nil
Club comment — Chaminda Vidanapathirana (coach)
“We are doing what we can, we’re training at St Brendan’s and will play at Shepparton East, we’ve been there doing some stuff on the pitch which has been good.
“We had a pretty good pre-season, lots of indoor training and we had started outdoors before the floods.
"(The game against Central Park-St Brendan’s) and our finish to the year will set the tone for the season.
“We played with a very young team last year, myself and Mash were the only older players, but we will stick to our plans, we came very close to winning against good teams last season.
“We just didn’t quite have the experience to navigate through tricky situations, with a couple of guys coming back we will have a better chance this season.”
Prediction — Ninth
It’s anyone’s guess as to what this Shepparton United side is capable of this season.
After a torrid 2021-22, United snagged perhaps the upset of the season in its final fixture, defending a miserly 99-run total against a lethal Central Park-St Brendan’s.
Chaminda Vidanapathirana takes the coaching reins from Mahesh Kodamullage this season, and both men will be keen to build on their promising seasons last year.
United can only benefit from the return of classy all-rounder Rehan Bari, while talented quick Sam Nash returns to his home club after a couple of years at Camberwell.
With a number of familiar faces back on board, dragging itself off the last rung and closer to finals contention looks almost a certainty.
Tatura
Last year: Eighth (5-7)
In: Dylan Rowney, Mitch Rowney
Out: Jayden Armstrong (injured), Matt Cornwall
Club comment — Daniel Coombs (coach)
“It’s been a very weird pre-season. We’ve lost so many training sessions which hasn’t made it the perfect preparation, but everyone is in the same boat,” he said.
“We’ll have a very similar side (to last year), but we will be without Jayden who did his knee during footy season. He’s a big loss for us, he was just starting to hit his straps and he’ll leave a big hole.
“We’re still a young side and it would be nice to improve on the five wins from last year and just keep improving as much as possible.”
Prediction — 11th
Tatura was one of the surprise packets last season, one where the club produced multiple breakout stars.
Chief among them was all-rounder Blake Armstrong, who stamped his name on the competition with his sublime opening spells with the ball.
The injury sustained to his older brother Jayden will no doubt impact the side, but as onlookers witnessed last year, this outfit is capable of producing some special performances when it gets it right.
Sides around Tatura look to have recruited well, so it remains to be seen if the young outfit can challenge for finals again.
Waaia
Last year: Third (10-6)
In: Tim Belford, Harvey Walker
Out: Liam Evans
Club comment — Mitch Cleeland (captain)
“It’s been a pretty interrupted start to the season, but everyone else has put up with the same,” Cleeland said.
“We’re even younger this year, so there’s plenty of excitement in what can be achieved. Both Jesse and Sam Trower are ready for a big season.
“Obviously it’s disappointing when you lose someone of Liam’s skill. It is near impossible to replace him, but we have added spinner Harvey Walker and batter Tim Belford ... hopefully those two can fill the gap.
“We’ve been poor with the bat for the past few years, so that’s an area that hopefully we can improve and hopefully we can maintain that winning way.”
Prediction — Fourth
The void left by reigning Lightfoot Medal winner Liam Evans is massive and as Cleeland touched on, near impossible to replace.
However, the addition of emerging talent Harvey Walker and big-hitter Tim Belford will hold them in good stead to compete up the top again.