WAGGA City Wanderers will kick off their season at home against ANU on Saturday.
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Like many other sporting clubs across the country, the start of the season has been a long time coming but the Wanderers are looking forward to getting their campaign underway at Gissing Oval.
It will be the first time the new-look Wanderers step out under new coach Michael Babic, and the tests do not come much tougher first-up than the defending champions, ANU.
Assistant coach Matt Menser is one of several new faces at the Wanderers and he believes it is hard to predict how the team will start the season.
"It's not a long comp. We were well prepared before the break, it will just depend on how we start since the break," Menser said.
"Our only disadvantage compared to the other teams is how much change we've had since last year. Little groups within the team have all played together, it's just we haven't played together as a whole."
The Wanderers were unable to get any trial games since the green light was given after the COVID-19 interruption.
Menser, who used to play in the Canberra NPL competition, believes there won't be much pressure on the Wanderers against ANU.
"They finished third and ended up winning it last year," he said.
"I guess, from the reports within Canberra, they tipped them to win it again this year."
Wanderers director Brendan Flanagan is looking forward to seeing the new squad out on the paddock for the first time.
"We've got a few of the older heads from the local scene which has been really good," Flanagan said.
"A lot of younger players that are making the transition too, they've gone through under 18s, under 20s and are making their way through and we're starting to see some benefits from that, which is good.
"That's the basis of what we've been saying, it's a pathway for local players. Now that we've got juniors in as of last year, that pathway is even stronger. They can start in under 13s now instead of under 18s."
There was some doubt surrounding the start of the NPL season due to the freeze the ACT Government put on the easing of restrictions last week.
While a meeting in Canberra on Thursday was set to determine how the opening round unfolded in Canberra, it is all systems go for the Wanderers at home.
"It's going ahead. There is a meeting in Canberra (on Thursday) around the Canberra teams being able to play over there but that doesn't affect us or the games over here," Flanagan said.
The Wanderers' seniors play at 3pm on Saturday.
The Wanderers women have the opening round bye and will have to wait until Sunday week to begin their season.
The juniors will kick off their season at Rawlings Park with games against Belconnen.
"Everyone just wants to go out and have a run," Flanagan said.
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