One to watch: Chris Nield will again be a player to watch for the Cats.
Photo by
Rodney Braithwaite
FAST FACTS
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JOINED LEAGUE: 1894 NICKNAME: CATS HOMEGROUND: MOOROOPNA RECREATION RESERVE COACH: JOHN LAMONT PRESIDENT: BILL DOWLING PREMIERSHIPS: 1894, 1895, 1896, 1907, 1923, 1924, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1985, 1986 MORRISON MEDALLISTS: L DWYER (1936), B. MCCARTY (1962), R. WILLETT (1965, 1967, 1968), D. BUX (1972, 1973), G. SAUNDERS (1977), B. OUGH (1979), G. COOPER (1983, 1985), M. BLAKE (2012) 2021 FINISH: 6TH (5-1-5) 2021BEST-AND-FAIREST: CHRIS NIELD 2021 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: CHRIS NIELD (28)
PLAYER CHANGES:
IN: Ryan Kilpatrick (North Shore), Mitch Jones
OUT: Trent Freer, Michael Coad, Nathan Turner, Matt Gorman
GAME CHANGER:
BEN HICKS: Mooroopna vice-captain Hicks is a versatile player and definitely one to look out for this season.
Playing in a variety of roles last season and coming off a solid pre-season this year, Hicks is fit, ready to go and maturing into the leadership role, with a lot of potential to turn a few games upside down for the opposition.
FINISHING RANGE:
4th-8th: The Cats will be there or thereabouts this year, but it is hard to think they are a true premiership contender.
Coach John Lamont has a reputation for getting his side to do big things and, with a small number of signings and a youthful look, the Cats should remain a top end mid-table side for another season.
On the up: With a young squad Mooroopna is set to continue to improve this year.
Photo by
Rodney Braithwaite
WRITE UP:
A ‘‘winning season’’ is the goal for Mooroopna this year as the Cats look to build on a sixth-placed 2021 finish.
Coach John Lamont will have his troops raring to go at Mooroopna Recreation Reserve with new signings Ryan Kilpatrick and Mitch Jones adding to the squad.
For Lamont, this year is all about having a winning season, with a goal of being competitive in every game.
“I’ve been really pleased with the core group,” Lamont said.
“It’s been a pleasing pre-season, everyone’s training well and looking forward with cautious optimism that the season is not going to be effected like the last two have been.”
Lamont said the Cats were approaching this season as an extension of last year.
“We’ve sort of looked at it as almost like one year, almost like a 30-game season,” he said.
“We are hoping that we can pick up where we left off.”
The Cats finished last season strong and Lamont wants to build on that.
“I talk about having a winning season, we want to be competitive in every game, that’s a week-to-week thing,” he said.
“It’s around your preparation and making sure that when Mooroopna people come to watch their team, they’re coming out at quarter-time and we’re in the game and then they come out to the break at three-quarter time and we’re in the game.
Big year ahead: Cats coach John Lamont wants a winning season from his team.
Photo by
Werribee FC
“We might not be in front, but we’re in it and we’re some sort of realistic competitive chance for people to be hanging in there, watching the footy and knowing that the team’s got a chance right up until the 20-minute mark of the last quarter, that’s an objective.”
Lamont’s winning season mentality should have the Cats play finals football this year and, with a young group, many of whom have been around each other for a couple of years now, the Cats should work well as a unit.
“If you have a winning season in a 12-team comp that plays a top six and you have had 10 wins and eight losses, you’ll play a final,” Lamont said.
“We’re not aiming at top two or anything like that, but just that winning season, that’s underpinned by that attitude of being competitive and being in every game, home and away, that’s our objective and as a young group we’ve still got a way to go with that.”
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