LIMESTONE Coast season 2025 is tipped to be a big year for Casterton Sandford as the club celebrates the 150th birthday of the Cats.


Senior and Reserves football coaches, Jarrod O’Brien and Mason Hunter are excited by the big pre-season put in by their squad and the depth of recruiting in the lead up to the new-look competition – which this year includes the Penola Eagles – and are looking forward to seeing where the year takes them.


“Full credit to the footy department they have done well with recruiting, targeted the types of players we wanted and needed, from the end of season reviews we did with the playing group,” O’Brien said.


“We spoke about what we did well, what we can improve on.


“They spoke about fitness and skills, so we targeted players that probably fit those attributes a fair bit.


“(Last year) injuries cost us and it’s an excuse, I do not like using excuses but I think our depth got tested at times, losing key personnel.


“Losing Tommy Foster as one of our key backs, losing him, we had to play Al McCrae as a deep back, jut threw players out of position to an extent, whereas this year we have picked up more depth across the board, not just one area, so we’re prepared for whatever the season sends us.


“We have got that depth you need, especially later in the year, coming into finals.”


In addition to the already introduced Coly Munro, Sam Tolley and returning Michael Krieger, the player list has continued to grow.


“Jett Attard from Port Macdonnell sort of fell into our hands,” O’Brien said.


“He’s mates with Adam McKinnon and Colby Munro, Colby played at Port Mac last year so they’re all pretty close.


“We were speaking to him about good numbers pre-season, pre-Christmas and I think he was just keen to come on board.


“He’s a good outside player, proper fit, quick, good skills, what wee needed on that wing, to an extent, controls that outside, runs up and down that wing all day.


“He’s pretty fit.


“We have also got Jack Thompson back from overseas and we have got Sean Maxwell, one of (Max’s Rooke’s) mates, from Cape Otway, big tall utility, he played down back in our praccy match against Hamilton and in the ruck, he’s very handy.”


Cat training sessions have seen between 20 and 40 players on the track since well before Christmas, a sign O’Brien says of players’ reflections on previous seasons.


“I think the fellas are just sick of being mediocre, sick of getting almost there and so the drive this year to get out there on the track, put in the hard yards, get the fitness and the skills going early and really make that run on finals is our focus,” he said.


Season 2025 kicks off at Island Park this Saturday, as the Cats face their first test of the season against West Gambier.