"THE MAN ON THE FENCE" 

NEW SEASON NOT TO FAR AWAY

WE shouldn't place too much importance on the result of practice games - it's all about the performances from the players and getting their fitness levels up. You can have some fantastic preseasons and win every game - but as soon as the new campaign started, are hopeless.  Then there are other times when you have a terrible preseason but started the new term like a house on fire.
So, it's hard to predict what impact preseason results will have on the actual campaign but "Kiwi" Allan and coaching staff will be looking for a good performance more than anything and trying to get the right balance with all the old and new players. 
The off-season for players is very different these days. They're given strict instructions on how to maintain their fitness to make sure they come back in good shape. We used to put in six weeks of solid preseason training. Some players - usual suspects - would return about two stone overweight and there were always a few strugglers in the early sessions.  We used to run quite a few laps around the Ex-Servicemen's Oval, and you could guarantee a handful would be throwing up. But the players worked hard and were always fit once the season began.
Our Swans were the surprise package of last season for me. No-one outside the club really expected us to achieve a grand final appearance.  I expect the club will build on from last season this term and I don't think we'll struggle.

We've lost the excellent Queanbeyan quartet and lot of young local talent but have signed some quality footballers. I've been impressed by our summer captures and looking forward to seeing them in action; hopefully they'll go on and have a successful year with Griffith.

Last season is forgotten about now, there no point harping about it. It's a new season, a fresh start and we need to hit the ground running, though Mangoplah is a tricky opener. There are some exciting fixtures - we've got old rivals Leeton Whitton and Narrandera early on, then the likes of Turvey Park, Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong, Coolamon, Wagga, Collingullie ... it's the toughest league in the Riverina without a shadow of a doubt. (April 2024).

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