It’ll be a little bit of an unknown for the Northern Knights this year, with the TAC Cup side taking a young side into the season.
The Knights are taking a smaller squad of just 46 players into this year and more than half of them will be bottom-age players.
Knights coach Justin Wenke said they had only finalised their playing squad last week, with their season kicking off on Saturday against the Sandringham Dragons.
“We were strong last year with a lot of top-age players,” he said. “The 17s didn’t get that much of a look in.
“Now as top-age players they are hungry to get the opportunity and we’ve got some new kids in the program.
“We’re all waiting in anticipation.”
Wenke said there would be some different faces that would get plenty of game-time this season.
He said Ryan Gardner and Adam Carafa, who were both injured last year in the under-16s, have trained really well and will be around the mark for round one, along with Lachlan Potter, who played state under-16 football.
Of the possible draftees, he said the likes of Tom Mckenzie, Mark Baker and Joel Naylor were the standouts.
Mckenzie, who played the most games of the bottom-age players last year, has taken another step this year. He’ll move into the midfield.
Baker and Naylor return as 19-year-olds.
“They both attended state screening last year and were disappointed not to be picked up [by an AFL club],” Wenke said.
Wenke said it had been a bit of a different pre-season this year, with the club putting a bit more focus on individual programs.
“It’s been a slower build-up and we gave the boys an extra two weeks over Christmas to spend with their families.
“It’s been a different program, with more a weights program.
“We’re now based at Parade College where we’ve had access to the ovals and the track and set up a weights room.
“The boys have appreciated it.”
Facing two of last season’s top three teams to start the season, Wenke said they would know more about where they are as a team after round four.
