THE South West District Football League season will finally get underway tomorrow, with round one to see some enthralling clashes between key teams to welcome in the 2023 campaign.

The most hotly anticipated clash of the round is likely to be last year’s premiers Cavendish, who will hope to get their title defence off to a strong start against 2022 preliminary finalists Coleraine.

New Bloods senior coach and last year’s league best and fairest Sam Gibson will be looking to maintain the success achieved by the club as he takes on greater responsibility for their performance.

This is Gibson’s first time as a senior coach, but he told the Hamilton Spectator that his job will be made easier by the fact that he is backed by a club which has shown it knows how to win.

“Success breeds success and with the structures already in place I don’t want to change too much but rather build upon what’s already in place,” Gibson said.

“We won’t be changing too much, just tweaking little things.”

Meanwhile, Coleraine will head in to this season looking for redemption after falling short of their own premiership aspirations last season.

Ryan McClure continues in his capacity as senior coach after a strong first campaign in 2022 – the Maroons headed the ladder at the end of the home and away season – but recognises that the time is now for his group to take the next step.

“We want to build upon this core group of players from the under-17s who are coming into the senior ranks which will add to our depth as they commit their future to the club,” McClure said when his reappointment was announced last year.

“Being a young side, we lacked a little experience at critical moments, but the boys and I have gained the knowledge we need to succeed.”

Westerns v Tyrendarra

Two clubs with newly appointed senior coaches will clash at Portland’s Hanlon Park tomorrow, with home side Westerns still awaiting the completion of the new facility at Alexandra Park.

Westerns had a rough 2022 season on the field, winning just one game, however new coach Winis Imbi – a Western Border premiership coach with both Portland and North Gambier, and Port Fairy’s coach in the Hampden league last season – has expressed confidence in their ability to make improvements over the course of the season.

“We’re happy with the recruits that we’ve been able to bring in… the goal is to ensure that they’re not ‘hired guns’ and that they’ll be sticking around to take the club forward,” Imbi told the Observer last month.

On the flipside, the Darras are a club who are well and truly on the hunt for a premiership this season, as both their seniors and reserves sides made the top five last year, but neither could produce a deep finals run.

Bolstered by new player-coach Sam Anson (a South West league best and fairest in 2010 when he played with Westerns) who arrived late last season and was amongst their best afield in almost every appearance he made, Tyrendarra are confident they can get over the hill this time around.

“We’re going for that premiership this season, that’s the goal we’ve all got in mind and it’s something I think we all believe we’re capable of achieving,” Anson told the Observer in March.

Heathmere v Branxholme-Wallacedale

A revamped Heathmere squad will play host to Branxholme-Wallacedale at Heathmere Recreation Reserve, with hopes they can get themselves pointed in the right direction.

The Meres have made big strides off the field to push the club in a positive direction after their struggles in recent years, with senior coach Adrian Hann saying he’s hoping this can translate to some on-field success.

“After speaking to some players in the group, a lot of them wanted to see us win some games,” the second-year coach said.

“Obviously we can’t expect to leap straight to premiership contention, but there’s also no reason why we can’t be competitive week-in, week-out and hopefully win a few games.”

Meanwhile, the Saints are in a position to compete for a spot in finals after narrowly missing out last season and will be eyeing off this matchup as a chance to hit the ground running.

Senior coach Leigh Ewing said he’s side has been able to retain most of their core group, which should serve them well as they pursue that top-five finish.

“(Preseason) has been good, we have re-signed most of our group from last year,” he said in February.

“We probably know the areas we need to improve on and hopefully we can do that and keep moving up the ladder.”

This year will mark the 40-year anniversary of the club’s 1983 premiership win, with Ewing saying recognition of that milestone could well play a factor in how their season progresses.

“It will play a role, especially when it comes up to that round, it will be a pretty big day for the club and I think everyone is looking forward to it,” he said.

Dartmoor v Heywood

Last year’s runners-up Dartmoor will be raring to go when they host Heywood tomorrow, with Jayden Polaski to take the reins of a club once again with the premiership in its sights.

It’s not as though the Giants have been short on success in recent history, with a premiership in 2017, while they were recognised as minor premiers in the COVID-halted 2021 season, so there should be no shortage of belief within the club that they’re capable of reaching the pinnacle.

As for Heywood, after finishing in fifth spot last season they’ll see themselves as a real chance of causing some damage in the finals under the guidance of newly minted senior coach Sammy Walsh-Bannam, with key figures such as Leon Davis to continue with the club.

In saying that, the Lions look to be setting up for the long term, with Walsh-Bannam saying their goal is to develop their young talent while also being competitive on a week-to-week basis.

“It was one thing I really pushed for, developing our young players and looking after them,” he said.

“They’re the ones who are going to push our club forward, but on an individual level for each of them I want to see them succeed and take their footy as far as they can.”