REIGNING SFNL A Grade netball premiership coach and Horking medallist Kyra Nathan is upbeat about Ouyen United’s prospects for the coming 2021 Sunraysia Football Netball League season.
But she knows too well that the road to glory that day in 2019 was littered with obstacles and a repeat performance will be tough.
In their first SFNL season, in 2016, the Kangas didn’t make the finals, finishing fifth, in the following two seasons they reached the preliminary final only to suffer agonising narrow defeats.
Then, to reach their first grand final they had to beat perennial contenders South Mildura and Irymple.
“There is pressure now that we’ve won the premiership (but) we can do it again, absolutely; good teams win one premiership, great teams win multiple premierships,” Nathan told Sunraysia Daily.
“Now we have the experience to win in tight, big games, and that’s invaluable.
“We’ve retained all players from the premiership team, plus we have a young group of girls ready to step up and Tayla Willsmore will be available all season after missing early games (in 2019).”
Confidence has also been boosted in the Mallee with the news that proven match-winner Casey Crothers has signed for another season, after reports she was likely to retire.
Crothers was unshakeable in the stunning four-goal flag victory with deadly shooting despite a charging Wentworth side that was never out of the game until the final few minutes.
Her ball skills are exemplary and no doubt influenced by her father Geoff ‘Bricky’ Kay, a leading tap ruckman for the legendary Kiamal Football Club and her uncle Daryl (‘Tiger’) who was the only player in the entire Mallee League who kicked out from full-back with a 50 metre drop kick.
Nathan had glowing praise for her goal shooter.
“Casey is the reason we won the premiership, that’s for sure,” she said.
“She had 95 per cent accuracy in the grand final – the girls knew that if they got it to her under the ring no one would beat her.
“Her leadership qualities are first class and she constantly puts herself out of her comfort zone for the benefit of the team.”
The return of dynamo Megan Jardine after a lay-off to have her third child will bolster the Kangas’ attacking speed.
Jardine has high aerobic capacity and recently dropped husband and senior football co-coach Dean over the closing stages of a 10-kilometre run.
Apparently, ‘Deano’ thought he would test his wife’s strength and decided to kick-down the pace in the home straight of the hit-out.
Not such a great idea, especially when the person pacing beside you has been clocking considerably more kilometres than you have.
To be fair though, the multiple premiership defender was returning from two weeks’ of physical inactivity due to a mystery virus.
Yes, distance running is indeed a simple activity but also a very quantifiable one – the fittest person overcomes from 800m through to the marathon.
Ouyen United will open their premiership defence against Mildura at Blackburn Park on April 10.
