At Stony or Tarwin, pick your match of the day

By Rob Popplestone

FINALLY, two to three weeks after the other leagues kicked off, it’s the opening round of the Mid-Gippsland Football Netball League this Saturday and South Gippslanders have some ‘clashes of traditional rivals’ to look forward to.

Stony Creek hosts Fish Creek and Tarwin hosts MDU in two of the matches of the round, and Toora welcomes Mirboo North in what should be a good guide to those teams’ chances in 2023.

Here’s MGFNL Publicity Officer Rob Popplestone’s take on Round 1 of the 2023 season:

As each season starts, hopes of success burn bright at each of the MGFNL clubs, as they rightly should.

The season opener featuring Morwell East and the visiting Foster was an ideal clash to send the message to fans that footy is back.

Every club has, and certainly demands, from their players, that certain benchmarks are achieved.

These include but are not limited to, never losing on your home ground, never losing two matches in-a-row, and stealing a win where possible away from home.

With that in mind, we had two clubs at the gateway to the season, and the possibility for only one to walk away happy.

Morwell East was that club, but the result not clear until the final siren… The Hawks 8-8-56 to the Tigers 7-8-50

As pleasing as a close win can be, the disappointment of being on the wrong side of the same result can be devastating.

The anticipated closeness of the MGFNL competition means clubs cannot afford winnable games being lost. Bring on round one!

Tarwin vs MDU

Tarwin were the benchmark team for most of 2022, before some wobbly wheels saw them bundled out of the finals quicker than they would have liked, but Sharks coach Troy Hemming has indicated some subtle changes to his team preparation for the season ahead.

The Demon's coach, Nathan Alle, might not be so vocal about his team's potential to go all the way, but he remains confident they will be a tougher team to beat this year than last.

Certainly the quality of recruits picked up by MDU appears to be most impressive, but just how much so, will be tested on the home ground of Tarwin this weekend, with one coach or maybe even both having a clearer understanding of just what they will be working with and against.

Stony Creek vs Fish Creek

Two sides that found themselves outside of the finals race in 2022, have unashamedly set their sights on a return to the real stuff in 2023.

Both sides with new coaches and as a result carrying a reinvigorated enthusiasm that is sure to gain momentum with a first-round victory.

For Chris Verboon at Stony Creek the initial priority has been to strengthen the foundation or fabric of the club off field.

Fish Creek too, with Jarrod Walker at the helm, has been positive with some talented recruits and a satisfactory pre-season.

Toora v Mirboo North

History to be made this weekend by Rover

More Mid Gippsland history will be made this Saturday when Mirboo North travels to Toora for the first time since both clubs were established in the horse and buggy and steam train days of 1892.

It's round one of the 2023 MGFL season and the mighty Tigers know there will be many challenges confronting them on the footy field and netball court against the Magpies.

The senior football match sees the return of Mirboo North's 2006 and 2007 premiership participant, Peter Mongta, as head coach.

Mongta, who was assistant playing coach in 2006, before taking over the reins the following year, knows the importance of his team getting off to a good start.

The last thing Mirboo North needs is to be jumped at the opening bounce the way Carlton was against Adelaide last Thursday, and find itself six goals down at quarter time.

No doubt, the Mirboo North coach will instruct his players to attack the Sherrin hard from the outset, tackle the opposition with gusto and win as many contested ball contests as is humanly possible, all afternoon.

In the netball, Toora will proudly unfurl its prized 2022 A Grade pennant, prior to attempting to repeat its nail-biting one-goal grand final victory over Mirboo North.

Twenty-one-year-old super-star, Miki Hilliar, takes over from Ebony Best as the Tigers' A Grade coach this season.