Last year the Cougars – under new coach Jason Heatley – came from fourth place to claim a famous eighth Division 1 premiership.
The triumph may have come as a surprise but it also signalled Northcote Park’s resurgence as a powerhouse in the NFL.
Greater expectation will be placed upon the Cougars this season as they aim to defend their title, but Heatley said his side is ready for the challenge that awaits.
“The guys are pretty level-headed and they’ve come back in a lot better condition than what they were last year," Heatley told NFL.org.au.
"Also our understanding of the game plan is already there so we’ve just tried to build on that.”
The loss of premiership players Anthony Hogan, Jake Mills, Daniel Flynn and Daniel Rajab – and potentially defender Ben McNiece who has been listed by Essendon’s VFL team – will be eased by the inclusion of a number of key assets.
Jai Middleton will assume ruck duties, while Tim Walsh and Kane Maghamez will further bolster the club’s attack alongside Koden Colman, Mitch Papas and Joe Woonton.
Youngster Ben Irving is expected to play senior football, while young midfielders Daniel Ledda and Brock McLennan will only improve further.
Speaking on the eve of the season, Heatey said he believed his list had improved from its premiership year.
“I think our list is a bit more rounded than what it was last year," Heatley said.
"I mean guys leave the club for various reasons and we wish them all the best. We’ve also brought a ruckman, Jai Middleton, into the club as well as Ben Irving from the Northern Knights so we’ve looked in areas we need to improve and we’re comfortable knowing that we’re going to get improvement out of that.”
Despite slumping to a third consecutive Grand Final loss, the off-season for Heidelberg has been fruitful with the addition of a number of key signings.
Brad Miller – who played 157 AFL games for Melbourne and Richmond – is arguably the league’s biggest off-season signing. He will be joined by former Ovens and Murray best and fairest Jamie Allan.
Throw in the inclusion of Joel Harris, Jordan Treloar and Chaz Sargeant, plus the return of Mark Favrin from Monbulk and Nick Miller from injury and the Tigers’ list looks primed for a tenth consecutive Grand Final appearance.
Mainstays Blair Harvey and Danny Nolan will go on for another season and both are still in ripe form after earning the quinella in the club’s 2012 best and fairest.
Nolan’s younger brother, Dale, will also play again in 2013 but will miss the start of the season with a back injury. Miller would appear the ideal replacement for the injured star.
After playing off in the 2012 Grand Final, both Northcote Park and Heidelberg are again tipped to feature deep in September – with last year’s premiership-decider potentially the dawning of a huge rivalry between two of the league’s largest clubs.
A huge crowd is expected for the blockbuster opener where the winner will not only gain four points but a significant mental edge to begin the 2013 season.
After a long pre-season, let the real action begin.
Northcote Park v Heidelberg will be played at Bill Lawry Oval from 7:30pm Friday. A radio broadcast of the game can be heard on 88.6 Plenty Valley FM.
Past Five Meetings
Grand Final, 2012: Heidelberg 9.15 (69) def by Northcote Park 17.12 (114)
Round 12, 2012: Northcote Park 14.12 (96) def Heidelberg 5.6 (36)
Round 3, 2012: Heidelberg 14.11 (95) def Northcote Park 11.10 (76)
Round 12, 2011: Northcote Park 13.10 (88) def by Heidelberg 15.9 (99)
Round 7, 2011: Heidelberg 5.10 (40) def by Northcote Park 13.12 (90)
