With the team’s new senior and assistant coaches, Zanelle Gerecke and Sharla Sutcliffe, taking Thurgoona’s first preseason training last night, the club is expecting a big year with changes on and off the field.

Gerecke said things such as new faces at training, new clubrooms and upgraded netball courts would make 2012 the year of the Bulldog.

“This is a very exciting year for us,” Gerecke said.

“There are a lot of new faces around and we’ve got new clubrooms, too ... it’s our time.”

Gerecke steps into the senior coaching role after two years in charge of the under-18s while Sutcliffe, who’s also a key player for the Bulldogs, will provide valuable support as assistant coach.

Gerecke said the senior team was so intent on graduating from a first round finals easy-beat to a genuine premiership contender it had completed extra training early in the year.

“We call it a pre-preseason,” she said.

“We’ve just been doing some running and that kind of thing, we haven’t even touched a ball yet.

“I’m really confident and very excited for the season.

“I don’t like to make predictions but I know we’ll be the hardest working team (in the league) this year.”