WODONGA RAIDERS
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Best three: Isaac Muller, Jydon Neagle, Hayden Clarke.
Most improved: Hayden Clarke.
Best game: Thumping win over fierce rivals Wodonga on Anzac Day.
Best moment: Declan Everett's two goals in a minute against Wangaratta Rovers at Birallee Park. The visitors had jumped to a 20-point lead and Raiders needed something and Everett delivered with two goals from near the boundary.
'Wish list' positions: Centre half-back and A grade midfielder.
Will COVID impact on recruiting? "We've never been a club that had too many travellers anyway, but if we do, we always try to get them to relocate, but we're not against someone who has to travel." (2021 coach Jarrod Hodgkin).
COROWA-RUTHERGLEN
Best three: Cam Wilson, Jarred Lane, Tom Goodwin (honourable mention Damien Wilson).
Most improved: Darcy Melksham.
Best game: Tie between the upset of Lavington, which proved the club was heading in the right direction, and final game win over Wangaratta Rovers, with a stack of youngsters.
Best moment: The team song after the Lavington win brought a chill to the spine of veteran coach Peter German and that's saying something, given how many wins he's had since starting his coaching career in the mid-1990s.
'Wish list' positions: Clever, smart forward who knows how to kick a goal, like Wodonga livewire Ethan Redcliffe, and a big-bodied midfielder who can help Cam and Demien Wilson, Hayden Filliponi etc, as the Roos have a relatively small on-ball brigade.
Will COVID impact on recruiting? "I don't think we've really got the luxury of being able to say that (no to players, even if they come from outside the region). We're looking at instead of players maybe at one point saying, 'why would we go to Corowa-Rutherglen?', they can see the club's starting to move forward and they've got some really good kids, so we've created a positive culture, one that's about winning games of footy, rather than just playing games of footy." (coach Peter German).
WODONGA
Best three: Charlie Morrison, Cody Szust, Ethan Redcliffe.
Most improved: Ollie Greenhill.
Best game: Win over Lavington at Lavington.
Best moment: The stirring second-half comeback against undefeated Albury with the Bulldogs falling short by three points.
'Wish list' positions: Ruckman and key position (either CHB or CHF)
Will COVID impact on recruiting? "I don't think it's really changed the way we go about it. Obviously Victoria was hit hard at first and now NSW is being hit the hardest. Who's to say Queensland or South Australia's not going to be next? It's a guessing game, whichever way you look at it." (coach Jordan Taylor)
ALSO IN SPORT:
YARRAWONGA
Best three: Leigh Masters, Harry Wheeler and Mark Whiley (honourable mention to Lach Howe).
Most improved: Jackson Meade. He played thirds in 2019 and then played this year's first four games in reserves, before winning through to seniors and impressing with his straight-ahead high marking game.
Best game: Upset win over Wangaratta Rovers, although the narrow loss against Myrtleford earlier was also outstanding.
Best moment: Xavier Leslie's 300th game at Easter in front of a large home crowd was an occasion befitting the service of such a fine player and servant.
'Wish list' positions: A key power forward sits on the top of the list, along with some outside polish.
Will COVID impact on recruiting? "COVID's imprint will be lasting. As a club we have been crystal clear with the approach we would expect but at this stage, it appears all the messaging seems to be business as usual. If there is one aspect all organisations should have learned since the 2020 March long weekend, business as usual is not the way forward." (Yarrawonga president Ross Mulquiney).
NORTH ALBURY
Best three: Jackson Weidemann, Clay Moscher-Thomas, Sam Hodge.
Most improved: The entire team, From where the club started with three-figure losses to midway through the year, the improvement was outstanding.
Best game: Take your pick between round 11 and 13-14, where the Hoppers, with the youngest list in the league, produced near four-quarter performances and that's all you can ask.
Best moment: Tough to pick between Flynn Gardiner's five goals and Jackson Weidemann's two goals from centre half-back.
'Wish list' positions: Key forward and a ruckman.
Will COVID impact on recruiting? "We're trying to be strategic, we've got a young lost with around 15 guys who've had around 10-13 games under their belt. They've really improved, so we want to keep that involvement. We just need to build one or two around them so we're developing as a senior club, we do need that depth." (North coach Luke Norman).
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