The Gunnedah Bulldogs have begun preparations for the upcoming Group 4 leaguetag season, with a training session at Kitchener Park last Saturday morning and another one scheduled this Saturday morning.
Training sessions are likely to continue on weekends until players finish their summer sporting commitments including oztag, touch football and softball, before the leaguetaggers train on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Bulldogs coach Maddy Finlay is adjusting to her first coaching gig in the meantime, having played for the Bulldogs for about eight years before hanging up the boots at the completion of last season.
Finlay played in several finals campaigns although a grand final berth remained elusive, before Gunnedah missed last year’s top-four altogether.
Finlay said this year was “most definitely” a case of chasing a return to the top-four and pushing for the premiership, after it was frustrating to miss last year’s finals.
“We seem to get so close, but unfortunately get that little bump and just miss out,” she said of the past several years.
Finlay said it was hard to pinpoint exactly why the Bulldogs repeatedly fell short of a grand final berth.
“We usually start the season pretty consistently, but seem to tire towards the back end of the season,” she said.
“I’m really going to focus on fitness and teamwork.
“We’ll work on cardio and conditioning first, before moving onto other things.
“Most of the girls have good ball skills.”
While some players have moved on in the off-season, continuing players include Lowanna Davison, Dakota Durrant, Nautica Eather, Zoe Fleming, Rita Gillard, Tarryn Heinrich, Deneka Jones, Grace Mannion, Zara Mannion, Reanna Paget and Jacey Ross.
A couple of youngsters are likely to be blooded, while Marlee Urquhart and Tara Wilkinson-Ryan are set to return from a break.
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