The AFL North West season will launch into action this Saturday and a new-look Nomads squad are fit and firing for their opening game against Gunnedah.
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The Nomads will be without last year’s coach Tom Hunt as well as 2017 vice-captain Clarrie Barker who has signed with Sydney AFL Premier League club, North Shore Bombers.
Incoming coach James Treweeke said, despite the losses, the Nomads’ squad is shaping up to be sharp with new players putting their hand up to play.
“The team is shaping up well this year, we have had a big influx of new uni students this year which is what the team relies on so we are looking really good,” he said.
“We lost a few players last year with Tommy Hunt going and a few of the senior heads but this year we have picked up a lot of young blokes who have played before and are looking really good.
“He [Barker] won our club b and f [best and fairest] last year so he is a massive loss for us but I am hoping we can fill the hole, it is a bit hard losing someone like that.”
They will, however, have talented skipper Dave Richards who missed the majority of the 15.16-106 to 13.8-86 grand final loss with an injury.
We like to think of ourselves of being the fittest team in the league which does help towards the end of games...
- James Treweeke
“He is still around for sure,” Treweeke said.
“He is looking forward to this weekend because he couldn't play the grand final last year, he started but his hamstring didn't hold up so he missed out on most of the game so he is ready for redemption.”
Last season the Nomads prided themselves on their fitness and being able to wear teams down in the final stages of the match. Treweeke said they are aiming to continue that this season.
“I am hoping so, we still have a lot of the senior heads from the last few years. We like to think of ourselves of being the fittest team in the league which does help towards the end of games, especially on our ground because it is the biggest ground and we do run over a lot of teams,” he said.
“We have been doing a fair bit of fitness stuff and the new blokes have come in fit and firing so I am hoping we can continue that.”
The Nomads play their first home game in round two against the Tamworth Swans.
The third round of the season will be the start of the women’s competition.
“The women's AFL this year is looking really good, numbers are quite high and their season starts on April 21. They will be playing every game before the men's,” Treweeke said.
“If anyone is interested come down.”