The long, long wait is almost over!

Photo: Dean Kirby

After the longest “pre-season” in memory, all is in readiness for competitive Junior and Senior AFL to take to ovals across the North Coast this weekend.

Players, coaches, officials, and volunteers will be rewarded for their patience and diligence around COVID-19 protocols when the AFL North Coast Senior Competition gets underway on Saturday, with round one of the Junior Competition on Sunday.

In the Senior Competition, flag holders Coffs Harbour Breakers start their Premiership defence at home to the Grafton Tigers.

The Breakers have a settled line-up, with coach David Velt retaining the core of last year’s Premiership heroes, and are well placed to go back to back. Whilst they have lost a couple of young guns in Shaydan Close and Ben Gibbeson to Labrador footy club, and experienced heads Chris Frangos and Shannon Burow to Northern Beaches Blues, new players to the club in Jake Hayes (Ballina), Cebastian Isherwood (Illawarra), Shaun Jackson, and Jak Jowett (both Moorabbin) are expected to fill the void.

Grafton Tigers have endured a lean spell in recent seasons, but early signs suggest they can look forward to a more fruitful season in 2020. The return of club icons such as Lee Anderson, Luke Stanford, and Sam Morrison, combined with talented local Juniors stepping up to Senior full time, and the inclusion of Blake Richards (South Australia) and Callum O’Loughlin (Armidale) will see a stronger roster for returning Premiership Coach Adi Campbell to work with.

The other Senior fixture sees Port Macquarie Magpies play host to the Sawtell Toormina Saints.

The Magpies were narrowly beaten in last year’s Grand Final which should be a great platform to build from, but half of that team have moved to pastures new. This includes captain/coach Tom Marmo (Darwin), reigning League Best and Fairest winner Kyle Bray (Queanbeyan), and runner-up Brayden Saggers (mixed martial arts). New coach Blake Nelson has to quickly cobble together a new team into a competitive force and will be looking to imports such as Dylan Rumble (Lake Macquarie), Harrison Hampshire (Geelong), Damien Bell (Hampden), Jack Gooden (Collingullie), Zac Madden (Ainslie), and Max Bylsma (Orange) to hit the ground running and gel quickly.

The Saints endured an uncharacteristically challenging season in 2019 and will be looking to return to recent glories quickly. The main positive for the club last season was the emergence of young players who were doubling up from the Under 17 ranks such as Angus Anderson, Tyler Donovan, and Jonah Horan, and these players will be better prepared for Senior footy in 2020. They will be joined by newcomers to the club in Angus Elder (Newcastle) and Jack Abbott (Tamworth), while the coaching reins will be back in the hands of Brandt Lee.

Northern Beaches Blues have to wait until round 2 to make their much anticipated return to the Senior ranks, but do host newcomers Nambucca Valley Lions in Reserve Grade.

The Blues are defending Premiers in this grade but are expected to field a vastly different line-up in 2020 with a number of key players pushing up to the Senior ranks. However some of these individuals may make a one-off appearance with no Senior grade fixture meaning Reserves could be a means to build some much needed match fitness.

Whilst it’s been a long off season for all clubs, its been even longer for the Nambucca Valley Lions. In fact, it’s been eight years since the Lions last fielded a team in a competitive fixture. Momentum and interest has been building since the Lions joined the Junior competition in 2017 and Saturday’s match is just reward for months of hard work by the committee.

In the Women’s competition, Northern Beaches Blues are at home to Sawtell Toormina Saints, making it a double header at Centennial Oval.

The Blues are standing on their own two feet this season after coming into the competition in 2019 in partnership with the Grafton Tigers. The interest in the Northern Beaches amongst women has been huge and the team will be looking to build upon the solid on-field foundation laid last year to be genuine premiership threats in 2020. Star players Deanna Paul and Britt Hargreaves have both joined the Blues from the Tigers, whilst Zoe Goodsell (Lismore) should be an excellent recruit for coach Adrian Roberts.

Sawtell lost a thrilling 2019 Grand Final by less than one goal and will be looking to reclaim the crown they won in the inaugural season (2018). State representative Ahlani Eddy has moved to Coolangatta and there are doubts over Kacee Uikelotu, but the side welcomes back Bec Minichilli and will once again look to Keira Basset to provide plenty of threat up forward. New coach Mick Britton’s role will be to develop a predominantly unchanged line-up whilst integrating the talents of a number of players who are new to the code.

In the Junior Competition, there is an action packed round with all clubs in action at five venues across the region.

• Grafton Tigers host Coffs Harbour Breakers in Under 13, Youth Girls, and Under 15 at Ellem Oval
• Northern Beaches Blues welcome Coffs Harbour Breakers to Centennial Oval in Under 11
• Bellingen Bulldogs face off against Sawtell Toormina Saints in Under 11, Under 13, Youth Girls, and Under 15 at Burdett Park
• Nambucca Valley Lions’ newly formed Under 15 team joins the club’s Under 11 and Under 13 teams at home against Port Macquarie Magpies (EJ Biffin Oval)
• Camden Haven Bombers return in the Under 11 age group and join forces with the Port Magpies Swoopers Under 13 team as they welcome the South West Dockers to Wayne Richards park in both age groups

For full details of round one fixtures please click here.