MURTOA Recreational Reserve will light up as Minyip-Murtoa and Nhill start their Wimmera league campaigns on Saturday night.
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The game pits a team that is looking to win it all this season against one that wants to break into finals.
The Burras will start heavy favourites but Nhill, more than any other team, start the season with an unknown mystique surrounding them.
New Burras coach Damien Cameron said his side is excited to get things started.
“We have a few players missing but that does not take anything away from it,” he said. “With a new A Grade coach and a new senior footy coach the club is buzzing.”
Nhill coach Alan Bennett expects his opposition to be extra hungry following the disappointment of missing out on the premiership after being labelled as favourites for much of the season.
He said his players should be jumping out of the skin ahead of the match.
“After all the hard work done during pre-season this is where it starts to pay off,” he said.
“To play Minyip-Murtoa, at Murtoa, under lights is probably the hardest ask for any side.
“They were probably the one side we could not match last season.”
For Cameron’s Minyip-Murtoa side it will be all about trying to win one-on-one contests around the ground.
“We have some of the best talls going around in the league so we need to make use of them,” he said.
“Our focus for the season is on how we want to play and less so on the opposition.”
Nhill welcomes three new travelling players this season and Bennett said they had slotted in well during the side’s two practice games.
“It is probably through a bit of luck more than design that they fit the way we want to play really well,” he said.
Cameron said Corey Morgan played a ripper game in a new role in the side’s latest practice match.
“I think he will get his hands on the ball a bit more this season,” he said.
“Young Jordan Delahunty is also a good chance to make his debut after some good form in the senior practice matches.”
A near full strength Nhill squad will be available for selection.
More young players will get their opportunity in Bennett’s side this season with debutantes expected to feature in the round one.
“That will be exciting for them and it is exciting for the club,” he said.
“We are trying to keep the same core of the team together year after year while building around them.
“Each year the core gets more experience together.”
