Football
10 April, 2026
Eagles, Saints set for explosive start
The wait is finally over for fans of footy in Warracknabeal, with their Eagles side going head to head with the Horsham Saints this Saturday in round one of the Wimmera Football Netball League.
The Kyle George-led side will travel to Coughlin Park for the clash, with both teams having heavily recruited during the off-season.
The Eagles specifically targeted their recruits for seniors, with Billy Stokes, Nick Lehman and ex-VFL player John Jorgensen joining their ranks.
Conor McFadyen, Jackson Taurau, Mitchell Bright, Ryan McKenzie, Samuel Callins and Shannon Taylor will also pull on the Eagles' jumper this season.
The Horsham side will debut Bailey Brennan, Drew Harris, Nathan Davey, Rory Taggert, Tom Vincent, Will Brennan and Zac Peake in their campaign for 2026.
Heading into the match, coach George said everyone was excited and it had been a long pre-season.
"Not making finals has extended the time off; everyone has been missing the footy," George said.
George confirmed all of the recruits, except one, would be available to play, with that one player being Jackson Taurau, who is out due to suspension.
The coach said the focus for the match would be effort for the entirety of the game.
"We can't lapse at any stage and we need to finish quarters off strongly," George said.
He added the game was always lost or won in the middle of the ground, with the team that got the first use favoured.
"Our backs need to match up on opponents," George said.
"We need to get that correct.
"We can't afford to let their forwards get on top."