Kilmore coach Nathan Phillips is preparing his side to build on its 2019 form, which saw the club play finals for the first time since joining the NFNL in 2016.
It has been a promising period for the Blues, who have gone strength-to-strength in Heidelberg Golf Club Division 3 since crossing from the Riddell District Football League.
Speaking to NFNL.org.au, Phillips is hopeful his side can take another step again in 2021, despite the COVID layoff last year.
“We aim to improve on 2019,” Phillips said.
“Since we’ve entered the competition, we’ve gotten better each season and gradually improved.”
During the pre-season Phillips has put an emphasis on making sure the playing group are in the right mindset ahead of the new season.
“First and foremost, we’re making sure the boys are back enjoying footy after a year off,” Phillips said.
Not wanting to halt any momentum from the previous season, Phillips said the players kept up regular contact and continued to train away from the club during the COVID layoff.
“We tried to keep the boys in contact with each other and have them out in small groups,” Phillips said.
“The boys embraced it, some decided to just take a mental break from footy which was fair enough, but most of the boys have kept in contact and shared how they’d been keeping fit.”
With the pre-season in full swing, forward Scott Swindells has been a standout on the track, with Phillips happy with the body of work he has put in during the summer.
“Scott Swindells has looked really good this year,” Phillips said.
“It’s been the first full pre-season he’s put in a while and he’s been the best out on the track.”
Pushing for a deep finals run after falling at the first hurdle in 2019, the Blues have bolstered their squad with the addition of brothers Chris and Ciaran Barton, who have joined from Wallan.
Phillips expects the pair to be pivotal acquisitions.
“We’ve gotten Chris and Ciaran Barton from Wallan and boys play really good footy,” Phillips said.
“Chris is an on-baller and Ciaran is a half back and winger. I think they will have an impact on our footy club this season.”
Kilmore could also have a youthful injection, with the club set to field an under-19s side for the first time since 2016.
Phillips said it will great for the development of future senior players.
“It’s huge to have an under-19s team this year,” he said.
“They’re the base to build your club around. Every year you’re going to lose players through either retirement or leaving the club, so you need the kids that can come through and fill those gaps left.
“We haven’t had that for a few years, and we had to rely on a lot of guys who would have preferred to retire.
“Now the younger guys can come through to senior level and give them a reason to stay at the club for a long time.”
Kilmore played three practice matches ahead of Round 1, taking on RDFL outfits Broadford and Lancefield, as well as KDFL club Avenel.
Though admittingly rusty in their first outing against Lancefield, Phillips was pleased with the improved performance across the two most recent games.
“The first game [Lancefield] was ordinary, but we needed the hit out after a year off and we didn’t take too much away from it,” Phillips said.
“But the last two games we moved the ball really well. We just need to straighten up the kicking in front of goal, which is something that we’ve been trying to correct heading into Round 1.”
Kilmore’s 2021 home and away campaign will commence with an away match against Laurimar on April 10.
