The Western Crusaders again showed they would be the team to beat with a big win in the Gridiron Victoria Vic Bowl grand final rematch.
The Crusaders, who have won the past seven championships, started the season with a 26-6 win against the Buccaneers on Friday.
Crusaders Tyson Garnham said they were focused on what was in front of them, not what they had done in the past.
“One from one is a good start,” he said. “We say it every year, it’s a new team and a new season.
“We start from square one.
“We played against the team that we played against in the grand final and won 26-6 and it was a good way to start.”
The match also included a celebration for D.J Battistella, who played his 300th game for the club.
Battistella has been part of the club since 2015 and has been pivotal in the club’s achievements, consistently producing standout performances in big moments.
Garnham said Battistella, who had been playing in Europe, had returned to Australia and the club for one more season.
Garnham said they had kept about 75 per cent of their senior side from last season.
He said they had picked up some players from interstate and who had moved to the country,
The Crusaders again have two teams this season, one in division 1 and one in division 2.
They are the only club to have two sides.
“We’re still looking for some more people,” Garnham said. “We’ve after a few more bigger bodies, which would be good.
“The league tried to get second teams for other clubs but they couldn’t come up with the numbers.
“It’s good to try and give as many players as we can game time with having a second side.”
The Crusaders this week face the Rangers on Saturday.
