City West Falcons face a season of uncertainty in the Victorian Netball League.
Having dominated the competition over the past three years, a new-look Falcons side takes to the court this year.
Due to a rule change in the VNL competition, sides can select in their squads only two players who are also contracted to play in the ANZ championships.
City West is responsible for six current ANZ championship players, with Chloe Watson, Emily Mannix, Kate Moloney, Tegan Caldwell, Alice Teague-Neeld and Liz Watson all coming from the western suburbs-based club.
The rule change means only defenders Watson and Mannix will be available for the Falcons.
Also not returning to the Falcons’ line-up this season is Casey Price, who has moved to rival club Melbourne Uni.
City West coach Marg Lind said the off-season change had led to a busy pre-season.
“It’s hard to say how we are going because a lot of the players are doing fine in pre-season, but it is completely different once you get into real matches,” she said.
“We had to have a year like this year where we basically have a whole new group, so I think that’s important. Obviously you might step backwards to step forwards.”
The Falcons moved quickly to replace their losses, with Demi Woodlock returning to the club after a season out of the game.
City West has also brought in former Monash University shooter Stephanie Tyrell and Altona association player Bridget O’Halloran.
Lind said it was great to see some young western talent graduating to the Falcons’ squad.
“We’re finally achieving the link between the real young juniors coming through the western suburbs and having them transitioning through the club,” Lind said.
“That’s what we aimed to achieve originally and what we are starting to achieve now.”
City West will begin its 2015 campaign against Melbourne University Lightning this week at the State Netball and Hockey Centre.
Despite all the changes to her squad, Lind is confident her new-look team has what it takes to match all sides throughout the competition.
“It obviously depends on when we get our Vixens players back, too. If we don’t have them regularly that will test our depth.
“I think we will be competitive … it will just come down to their control and how they gel as a team.”
The City West Falcons finished runners up in the VNL last year, with the only game the club lost being the grand final.
“With the big turnover of players, there’s a small percentage of us who still feel what happened last year, but then there are also all these fresh players, so there’s a bit of mixed emotions really,” Lind said.
Liam Twomey
