With Wangaratta boasting three players seven feet or taller the Wolves have labelled their own fitness and agility as key areas to claiming victory.

And although it’s just their first game back, the Wolves are likely to be fitter than before the break with the majority of the team visiting the US late last year for a series of games against high schools and colleges.

Coach Mick Merrilees said with the remainder of his side joining the Bandits for their preseason, he was expecting a good showing from his reigning premiers.

“We’ve been training ever since the boys got back (from the US), even between Christmas and New Year, so we’re pretty keen to hit the court and get going again,” Merrilees said.

“We’ve been training as a whole group since early November which has been really good and the guys (who missed out on the US trip) have had a very hard preseason with the bandits.”

Merrilees said he would focus on fitness and defensive pressure in tonight’s game at Wangaratta after watching the Warriors go down to Shepparton Gators last week.

“I went down and had a look at them last Saturday and I think we’ll have the ascendancy on fitness and our athleticism and our defensive pressure should swing things in our favour,” he said.

And although Wangaratta was missing their three talls against the Gators, the Wolves coach said they’d all be back for tonight’s game.

“I believe they’ll have a full outfit,” Merrilees said.

“Hopefully we can expose them a little bit so they can’t play tall ... we’ll look to run them pretty hard.”

Lady Wolves have a bye.