For coach Mark Brown, the build-up to the new season has been, by his own admission, the most exciting in his five years at the helm.
Sporting a tantalising mix of top talents pushing to get drafted, alongside under-age up-and-comers desperate to make an impression at the Coates Talent League level, a motivation to improve has been the hallmark of the group during the summer.
Brown said the “exceptional” pre-season the boys had put together had them primed to improve on last year’s ninth-placed finish.
“This group is probably more internally motivated than we’ve seen over the previous few seasons,” Brown said.
“It has got a core group of really talented leaders and they have pushed the group on well, so as a result the pre-season has been exceptional and we’ve seen a lot of our boys take big strides.
“So we are hoping that translates into better on-field performances, but in terms of our prep for this year the boys have been fantastic, they’ve trained really hard and are in fantastic nick.
“Now it is just a case of putting it all together.”
The first assignment for this talented Bushies unit comes in the form of arguably its most formidable road trip, as it travels to Morwell Recreation Reserve to take on the Power.
While most would see this clash as a tough way to start the new campaign, Brown said he saw it as a perfect opportunity for his team to band together and get an idea of exactly where it sits in the pecking order.
“There are a couple of ways to look at it (this road trip),” he said.
“You can look at the fact you are jumping in a bus for six hours to play a very good opponent and it’s a tough start, but from our perspective we are really bullish about the opportunity.
“We don’t get as much time with the boys as we’d like, so to get them all together for an overnight stay is perfect as it gives us a chance to further integrate the group before rolling out on Sunday to play a top-class opponent.
“Gippy are always a strong and physical football side, and that is an area we have put a lot of focus on over the summer, so I see this as the ultimate test for us in round one.”
When it comes to the district talent in this year’s squad, a plethora of the Goulburn Valley League’s brightest young stars are set to pave the way for a successful season for the Bushrangers.
Mooroopna’s Coby James is back on deck and raring to go after a shoulder injury cut his 2022 campaign short, while Shepparton United’s Oscar Ryan will be looking to build on an exciting start to his under-18 career at the back end of last season.
Brown spoke of the importance of those two boys and a few others, as they strive to put themselves in draft calculations come November.
“Oscar Ryan has put together a massive pre-season and given himself every opportunity to play well, he has probably been our standout performer in our two practice matches,” he said.
“Coby James is a top-end talent coming off a shoulder reconstruction, he made his return in a practice match against Bendigo and, while he was a little bit rusty, still found plenty of the ball and showed his class.
“Joeve Cooper is another that played a lot for us as an under-ager last year and showed a lot of potential which will make him a key player for us.
“And then we’ve got some bottom-aged talent in Oliver Warburton and the Whitlock boys (Matt and Jack) who we think will play big roles for us this year.”
Murray Bushrangers begin their Coates Talent League season against Gippsland Power at Morwell Recreation Reserve on Sunday at noon.
