Yarraville Footscray is about to embark on what coach Wayne Roberts hopes will be a short stay in the Bowls Victoria division 1.
The Bulldogs were relegated from the premier division last season but have ambitions of an immediate return.
They start in the second tier with a tough season opener away at Richmond Central on Saturday.
“Last year is behind us now,” Roberts told Star Weekly. “We enjoyed our 12 months in premier league and, hopefully, we’ll enjoy just 12 months in division 1 again.”
The Bulldogs have strengthened their squad with recruits Nelson Ball and Paul Stretton. Ball joins after playing in the first team for Moonee Ponds in the premier division last season, while Stretton is looking for a change of scenery after crossing from Werribee.
Ball is expected to slot in as either a skip or third and will be one of the key players in the Bulldogs’ push for promotion.
“He’s a big pick-up,” Roberts said. “He’s only in his early 20s and he played with some good players at Moonee Ponds. So he learnt a lot there and will certainly help our side. He’s a good kid, too, so he’ll fit in well here.”
Yarraville Footscray will miss out on derbies this season after being placed in section three of first division. The closest sides they will face are Moonee Valley and Glenroy, with trips across to the other side of the city the norm.
“We’ve got to do a fair bit of travelling, going to Cheltenham, Burden Park and Edithvale,” Roberts said.
“We’re playing against clubs we sort of haven’t faced before. We’re going in blind, but we know they’ll all be hard to beat. They’re not in division 1 because they’re easybeats.”
Despite minimal knowledge of their opponents, Yarraville Footscray is heading into the season full of confidence after retaining most of the home-grown players who took them to the premier league in the first place.
The only player the Bulldogs will miss from last year’s team is Nat Black, who is taking a season off to focus on family. There’s good depth at the club and the players will be able to draw on their experience of playing in premier ranks last year.
“Our side is basically the same as the one that won division 1 two years ago, so I believe we can be a top-four chance,” Roberts said. “About 25 people have been tried in our practice games. We have plenty to pick from, a full list, and only 16 can get in, so it will be hard.”
Meanwhile, Altona will be the highest-ranked men’s side from the western suburbs, taking its place in the premier division once more.
The A’s have a tough trip to Yarra Glen to start the season on Saturday before their first home game against Essendon a week later.
