GFL sides ready to kick off 2022 campaign

ANOTHER pre-season has come and gone for the Geelong Football League’s 12 sides as Round One prepares to get underway this weekend with the general consensus being that the league will indeed have a full season.

Harry Benson’s St Mary’s and Jonathan Simpkin’s Colac continue to be names that are thrown into the fire as genuine premiership contenders, but other top five sides including those on the outside looking in are ready to make a deep run past Round 17.

Amongst the teams ready to finally make it back to the finals is Bell Park, who despite a number of roster changes since 2021’s conclusion, are confident the new look side can get the Dragons back to the top five according to senior coach Shane Jack.

“We’ve had some guys moving on to other opportunities whether it’s interstate or over to Melbourne and we wish them all the best,” Jack said.

“But we’ve gone out and gotten some really good replacements and we’re really looking forward to seeing them at the GFL level.

“I’ve seen them in practice matches and during the preseason, so we’re super excited to see them against Newtown & Chilwell this Saturday.”

The Dragons’ newest additions include Geelong Grammar’s Jack Fisher and several acquisitions from other regional clubs.

Bell Park has not played a finals contest since 2017 and even though 2021’s outfit was viable to play an elimination final last season, COVID-19 dashed all hopes of that objective in September’s cancellation announcement.

2022 will be a toss-up between a handful of clubs based on the 11 matches played in the 2021 GFL season.

The distance between 2021’s fifth placed Geelong West and eighth place Newtown & Chilwell was just two-and-a-half games and with a new-look Leopold ready to make a surge under new coach Gary Hocking head the helm, the early rounds will prove to be pivotal.

2021 also took away a final from what is one of the younger sides in the league in South Barwon, who have made minimal changes to its line-up since last season.

“The team is excited to get back out there for what will be a season as close to normal as it can be,” South Barwon senior coach Dave Farrell said.

“Our biggest change since last season has been the development from within our list.

“We have quite a lot of young guys on the list and this preseason the club has spent more time in practice matches getting some extra play in and giving our younger players the chance to fast-track the development they might have missed over the last two years.”

Ten out of 12 teams will play this Saturday, while Leopold will host Geelong West on Sunday at Leopold Memorial Park.