The Grasshoppers have been putting in the hard yards over summer under new coach Jenni McCluskey as they search for a spike on the KDL table in 2020.
B-grade coach – and top tier player – Carly Tuhan agrees with the philosophy.
“It’s been a hard pre-season, we’ve been really focusing on our fitness,” Tuhan said.
“I think for us we’ve been one of those teams that have only just made finals the past couple of years, and fitness is the area we need to target to take the next step in those finals series.”
Along with McCluskey, Leah Manson joins the squad from Longwood and previously Shepparton United, while Alice and Jess Cunningham are not playing this season.
It has opened the door for some of the younger Grasshoppers to stake their claim towards a permanent starting role in the A-grade side.
“A couple of outs has really opened up some opportunities to the younger ones coming through,” Tuhan said.
“It’s a great place for junior development and Jenni is keen to put some systems and structures in place across the club.
“She wants to be able to grab anyone for A-grade and know they’ll slot right into the side.”
COACH: JENNI MCCLUSKEY 2019 FINISH: FIFTH (11-6)
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