Can Mooroopna build on exciting 2022 campaign?

There is one question on the lips of all Goulburn Valley League pundits when it comes to Mooroopna and the upcoming 2023 season.

Can the Cats replicate their impressive 2022 campaign?

Mooroopna was by far the biggest surprise packet in the competition last year as John Lamont and his band of young guns pinched a spot in finals with that memorable win over the eventual premier.

An elimination final win over Rochester capped off a remarkable year for the Cats and more than six months on, Lamont knows the pressure will soon start to come.

“There will be more expectation on us now both internally and externally, which carries some responsibility because it’s not going to (just) happen (on its own), we can’t expect it to be easy,” he said.

“The expectation raises internally; we want to play in games that matter and the boys want to play in big games. Our playing group is craving that.

“What I’m enjoying most is seeing that more and more, it’s making sense to our players and they understand what’s required.”

Mooroopna is primed for another assault on September action.

Superstar forward Chris Nield returns off an 82-goal campaign and club best-and-fairest.

Isaac Dowling, Dom Gugliotti, Kai Madgwick, Nathan Basile, Jed Woods and Kydan Atkinson are all one year older and have the experience of finals football under their belts.

Brothers Liam and Keelin Betson will be prolific, while defender Ben Hicks, captain Matt Deane, Rory Huggard, Nield and Gugliotti will feature in the leadership group.

He may not feature too many times this winter but Cats fans can expect exciting things to come from Murray Bushranger talent Coby James.

Berwick gun Bryce Rutherford has made the shift to play full-time, while VFL talents Will Bella, Daniel Johnstone and former junior Nathan Drummond have signed on.

Don’t forget the importance of former AFL star Jackson Trengove.

Lamont revealed the ex-Port Adelaide and Western Bulldogs big man was injury free and expected GVL supporters would see a “different Trengove” in 2023.

PLAYER CHANGES

Ins: Nathan Drummond, Bryce Rutherford (Berwick), Daniel Johnstone, Kris Bextream (Barooga), Mackenzie Cowley (Tongala), Will Bella

Outs: Dean Smith, Lucas Caccaviello, Aidan Basile, Lochie O’Brien

FINISHING RANGE: 3RD–5TH

The sudden jump in the expectation for Mooroopna has suddenly arrived following their impressive 2022 campaign. It will be intriguing to see how Lamont’s charges deal with this outside noise, but no doubt the experienced mentor will have a few tricks up his sleeve on how to deal with the pressure. The Cats have bolstered their line-up and with a fit and firing Trengove, nothing but finals action is on the cards.