FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 1896 TO 1946, 1998 TO PRESENT NICKNAME: SAINTS HOME GROUND: BENALLA SHOWGROUNDS COACH: JARRAD WAITE PRESIDENT: GEOFF HILL PREMIERSHIPS: 1940, 2015 MORRISON MEDALLISTS: T. PASQUALI (1999), R. PRIEST (2008 JOINT). L. MORGAN (2013), W. MARTINIELLO (2014), S. MARTYN (2018 JOINT) 2024 FINISH: 10TH (4-13-1) 2024 BEST-AND-FAIREST: MARK MARRIOTT 2024 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: WADE KING (21)
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PLAYER CHANGES
INS: Nick Warnock (White Hills), David Mennen (Hurstbridge), Max Cullen, Cooper Gracie, Ryley Ely (Wangaratta Rovers)
OUTS: Wade King (St. Paul’s McKinnon), Nicholas Brazil, Fintan Brazil (Tullamarine)
You wouldn’t exactly class Benalla’s 2024 season as a success, but there were some encouraging signs out of the Saints that should buoy Jarrad Waite’s troops.
After winning just three games in 2023, Benalla tasted victory four times last year and split the points with Shepparton United in the season’s only draw to finish 10th, progressing from their wooden spoon in 2023.
There’s still plenty of improvement to come out of Benalla, too, but the growth shown last season has the former Carlton and North Melbourne spearhead filled with optimism.
“I said from the very start that the first half of our season was going to be a lot different to our second half,” Waite said.
“And (as a) positive we were well and truly in games for that second half of the season, where especially the last probably six rounds we were right in the contest up until about three quarter time and even into the last quarter.”
While list depth has been added in the off season to compliment top-shelf talent such as Mark Marriott and Chris Welsh, and playing finals football is always the goal for any team, Waite has a much simpler objective heading into 2025.
"It's very cliche to say, but I just want to see that constant improvement,“ he said.
“We're striving for finals as everyone is, but like I said, I just want to see the growth in players individually, then also as a team.
“We just really want to see everyone get better, because every year every team gets better, and we're in no different position. I'm just looking forward to seeing what our group can do this year."
