You have to feel for Wangaratta Rovers.
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Every club's aim is to sign the players it needs for the following season as soon as possible.
It builds momentum and allows the coaching staff to focus purely on how the team can be at its best.
Rovers had signed four key personnel by November 9 and then added former Carlton player Lochie O'Brien by Christmas.
But VFL forward John Jorgensen wanted to try his luck again at state level, so he joined Northern Bullants and then another big player in Tom McDonagh suffered a bad back and might not play.
The trick now is to regain that lost momentum in the first game.
ARRIVALS
Lochie O'Brien (Carlton), Samuel Cattapan (Aberfeldie), Xavier Allison (Strathmore), Kieran Parnell (St Mary's, Darwin), Tom McDonagh (Mansfield)
DEPARTURES
Toby Murray (Adelaide SANFL), Tom Baulch (uncertain), Paddy McNamara (UK cricket)
VFL-LISTED
Nathan Cooper (Werribee), Ryan Hebron (GWS)
BEST AND FAIREST
Sam Murray (winner), Toby Murray, Alex Marklew
OUR SAY:
ANDREW MOIR: Rovers have to forget about who they don't have and focus on who they do. The loss of key forward John Jorgensen and serious injury to fellow recruit Tom McDonagh has robbed the Hawks of half of their tall timber (Will Christie and Alex Marklew) but they just have to find another way. All games are important, but they have to launch themselves at Wangaratta on Good Friday. They don't even have to win and will start outsiders, but they must come away with the confidence that despite some bad luck with their signings, they can win this flag.
WHILE THERE'S A LOT OF TOP-LINERS IN THE LEAGUE, IT'S NOT THAT COMMON TO SIGN A PLAYER STRAIGHT FROM THE AFL, WHAT WILL LOCHIE O'BRIEN (CARLTON) BRING?
He played six games at the elite level last year and is just 24, so Rovers have got him at his peak. He has elite skills, tremendous fitness and his new team-mates have immediately noticed his clever running patterns, he just knows where to be. Rovers lacked that polish moving the ball inside 50 last year and O'Brien will fix that. The one intangible, and it's the most important aspect, is whether he's come to grips with being delisted. Yarrawonga's Michael Gibbons was also cut by the Blues (end of 2021) and he admits it shattered him. Only O'Brien will know whether he's mentally adjusted to the change.
ROVERS WERE PIPPED IN LAST YEAR'S UNDER 18 GRAND FINAL, HOW MANY ARE LIKELY TO PLAY SENIORS?
If Finn Osborne keeps kicking remarkable goals like he did in the decider, he would be extremely hard to leave out. Justin Lewis and Sam Nolan, the younger brother of senior player Will, joined Osborne as the Hawks' top players in the grand final, so they could also easily start the year, while Harry Nolan, a cousin of Will and Sam, plays half-forward or wing and is another senior player in the making.
Q&A WITH WILL NOLAN
Q: Rovers have snared some strong recruits, will you be stronger?
A: The blokes that have come in will address the areas we needed to improve.
Q: What was the main area you needed to improve?
A: It was boosting our midfield, most teams have that midfield depth.
Q: How many players do you need in the midfield to be competitive against the best teams?
A: You probably need five or six who can run through there. When Dylan Stone got injured for us last year, it put a damper on our midfield, you saw when the likes of (Jackson) Clarke got injured at 'Maggies' (Wangaratta) the difference it makes.
Q: Rovers went into last year hoping to make the top three, but ended up fourth before bowing out meekly in the elimination final to Wodonga, what did you make of the year?
A: It was a bit of a disappointment, obviously coming off the prelim final the year before, at our best we were probably one of the better teams, but the gap between our best and worst was too big.
Q: Rovers have a large contingent travel from Melbourne, can you play at your best when so many aren't based in Wangaratta for training?
A: It hasn't been too bad, a lot of the Melbourne boys have made efforts to get down here, we've had some Saturday training, so it's the best we've had in a while with that sort of connection. A number of the Melbourne boys are originally 'Wang' boys, so you've already got that relationship with a lot of them.
Q: What have you made of the recruits so far?
A: They've all brought their strengths. Xave's (Xavier Allison) going to run around the backline and he's very good vocally, which will be good and help set up with a few of the younger blokes if they (the opposition) get a roll through there. Sam (Cattapan) and Lochie (O'Brien) will add again to the midfield depth.
PREDICTION: Fourth
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