The enthusiasm at the Boggabri Kangaroos is bubbling away for the anticipated return of Group 4 in 2021.
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They've had their annual general meeting - where Greg Haire was named president alongside a 32-person strong committee - and their pre-season starts on Thursday.
Haire said the club was hungry to return to the field and the large committee, up from 28 people last year, showed that.
"It's the most [members] we've had. It's been pretty solid for the last three years," Haire said.
"We have a fair few young ones coming on board now.
"You need a lot of people and I thank everyone that's come on board."
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The supporters' passion is clearly evident at Boggabri and coach Shane Rampling said they will be treated by further progress on the field next year.
"We've had some bad results but in saying that, we've been improving and they clap you off every game," he said. "It's just phenomenal the support you get out there and the club looks after the players."
While COVID-19 derailed the season, it hasn't derailed Boggabri's progress.
Yes, some players set to suit up in 2020 for the Roos won't - Haire made note of Jesse McCarthy and Kialu Brown, who had moved away - but the bulk of the 2020 squad is there.
And the club is hoping to make some signings in the coming weeks.
"I've spoken to the guys and most of them are sticking around," Boggabri coach Shane Rampling said.
'Kyle Gallen is hopefully coming back to us,. Edan Blewitt, too, and hopefully Josh Trindall and Rob Doolan.
"We're speaking to a couple other guys at the moment and hopefully we can confirm that soon."
He added: "We're putting the right things in place to recruit some decent signings to complement the guys we've already got. I think we'll be fairly competitive next year."
Blewitt and Gallen return to the region after stints in Queensland and Newcastle respectively.
Blewitt is originally from Gunnedah and has landed a job in Boggabri after living in Queensland, Rampling said.
Gallen last suited up for Boggabri two years ago where he played in the halves but could be in for a new role in 2021.
"He played here in 2018 and he's been down in Newcastle but we're hoping to get him back on board," Rampling said of Gallen.
"He played in the halves but he's bulked up a bit now and will probably transition into the back row."
The Kangaroos will train on Thursdays, starting this week, leading into Christmas and the club has decided on its first grade captain.
"Matt Gillham is captain again," Rampling said.
"He had a good tournament in the Group 4 9s and he's a natural leader."
Ben Jaffrey
Ben is a content curator and journalist for The Land. He has been with ACM since 2015 and first worked at The Area News and then at the Northern Daily Leader. Ben first joined ACM Agri as a digital journalist for all seven agricultural mastheads in 2022 before shifting to The Land full-time in 2023.
Ben is a content curator and journalist for The Land. He has been with ACM since 2015 and first worked at The Area News and then at the Northern Daily Leader. Ben first joined ACM Agri as a digital journalist for all seven agricultural mastheads in 2022 before shifting to The Land full-time in 2023.
