Deep heat, hot chips and freshly cut grass will fill the nostrils of local footballers and supporters once again this weekend as the Murray League returns for season 2022.
Highlighting the round one fixtures is an intriguing clash between a new-look Numurkah and an up-and-coming Congupna outfit at Numurkah Showgrounds.
The Blues come into the new season as something of an unknown entity, with dramatic turnover over the off-season seeing them roll out a new-look side in 2022.
Set to embark on his second season at the helm, Numurkah coach Sean Harrap said his side could not wait to get into it.
“We are really looking forward to getting under way, it has obviously been a really long pre-season and every team comes in thinking they are going to do very well,” Harrap said.
“Obviously we have a bit of a new-look team so I’m excited to see how it translates on the field, our practice game form has been okay and for us it is still about building that chemistry with one another.”
Numurkah fans will get their first look at star recruits Jamason Daniels, Charlie Hill, Morrie Serra and countless others on Saturday, as Harrap looks to showcase a free-flowing and attacking style of football.
“It will be good to see them finally get on the park after so much training, we are very excited to see what all our recruits bring to the team and it will be a thrill to see them all pull on the jumper for the first time,” he said.
“We know there are some areas we need to improve on and Congupna will be a tough challenge for us, so we’ll just go in and focus on our own game which centres on bringing the pressure and taking the game on when we have the ball.
“We can’t wait to welcome everyone down to the showgrounds and put in a good performance that will make the supporters proud.”
And while the pre-season buzz has many confident Numurkah will soar up the ladder, Congupna also finds itself in a position to mount a serious challenge in season 2022.
Coach Kevin O’Donoghue said his team was well-placed heading into its season opener.
“We are as confident as we can be heading into the game, we have had a really good pre-season, a couple of excellent practice matches and now we are keen to finally get into the real stuff,” O’Donoghue said.
“We have a very tough start to the season with games against the next top-three sides in Cobram, Mulwala and Tongala after this, so this game is super important for us.”
Coming up against a Numurkah team filled with fresh faces, O’Donoghue said he was unsure what to expect from Saturday’s clash.
“It is hard when they have so many new faces, there are some players we know about like Jamason Daniels and those guys, but we have no real idea how they will structure up or play,” he said.
“We will have to be at our best to come away with the points, we need to make sure we get the game on our terms early and get a free-flowing style of play under way from the outset.”
- Around the grounds, Mulwala will be hoping to get its premiership tilt off to a fast start as it hosts reigning premier Nathalia.
Cobram will be looking to continue its momentum from last season as it welcomes a new-look Finley side.
Barooga will wheel out star recruit Kyle Dunkley as it makes the trip to Deniliquin for a tantalising contest against the Rams.
Meanwhile, Moama rounds out the weekend’s action with an intriguing clash against Rumbalara on its home deck.