Hume City Broncos coach Kelvin Bowers has been encouraged by what he’s seen from his side during the Big V off season.
The Broncos were disappointing last season, when they finished 10th in the state championship division, and it’s something Bowers isn’t keen on repeating this year.
He said signs in the side’s two practices matches had been promising.
“We’ve got a great roster and added new pieces to the team,” he said.
“If we can keep everyone healthy, we’ll see big improvements on last season.
“We can’t be at the end of the year and not be in finals, it won’t go down well.”
Bowers said they had kept their core group of players and had looked to add more depth to the side.
Jah Soloai, who comes from Coffs Harbour, leads the signings and is expected to play a big role.
“He’s a 6’8 (207 centimetres) guy and is massive. He can play the post and is a very efficient three-point shooter.
“He can handle the ball too and will have a big impact for us.”
Bowers said lack of depth was one area they struggled last season, with all their starters playing big minutes on a weekly basis.
“We looked at the miles on the shoulders of our starters from last season and they were playing 38-40 minutes,” he said.
“You’re asking them to give their all in the first quarter and then in the last quarter and they couldn’t sustain that.
“Depth played a part of our drop-off in matches.”
Defence will be the key for the Broncos this season, according to Bowers.
With two of the competition’s best scorers, Lee Jeka and Mike Rose, in the side, he knows it’s at the other end where they need to step up.
“We have to come together as a team and we want to be the best defensive team in the league,” he said.
“If we play well, then we win. If we don’t play well, we lose.
“We can put the points on the board and can be a very successful side. We need to try and be consistent every night to be successful.”
The Broncos start their season on March 17 against Hawthorn Magic.
