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Swifts v Natimuk United
Ground: North Park, Stawell, Saturday, 2.20pm.
Umpires: D. Hutchins and G. Schutz.
Last time they met: Round 14, 2013. Swifts 10.12 (72) d Natimuk 6.18 (54).
NATIMUK United is ready for its first official match as a club against Swifts at North Park on Saturday.
The club developed over the summer when members of former clubs Natimuk and Horsham RSL Diggers voted to merge.
But new coach Tim Friend said the Rams would not be concerned with the merger or anything other than getting a win when they ran onto the ground.
“We’re just keen to get back to playing footy,” he said.
“Now that the season’s about to start, we’re just focusing on putting all that behind us and we’re not too fazed about it.”
Baggies coach Paul Hanns said his team was focused on getting off to a better start than last year, which saw it drop its first three games by big margins.
Up to six Swifts players will be unavailable for the clash, but Hanns said the club’s emerging young players such as Zach Salmi, Rory Jones, Josh Newton and Ryan Folkes could step up to fill the breach.
“They’ll come out firing with the first game under the merger and they’ll be pumped up and ready to go, so it’s not a game we’ll be taking lightly,” he said.