COOLAMON women's coach Connor Neyland readily admits it will initially be a learning experience as the Hoppers prepare for their first foray in the AFL Southern NSW Women's competition.
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Neyland, who coached the club's senior men's side in 2018, applauded officials for putting them in the same conference as the other new clubs, which he hopes will give his squad a chance to find its feet.
The Hoppers begin their campaign at Narrandera, who finished bottom of the table last season, this Friday night.
"We're starting very basic, getting control of the football first and going from there," Neyland said.
"They're probably a lot keener to learn the skills and how the game is played (compared to the men).
"I think the conferences are a good way to go about it. It will take a couple of games to work it out.
"We won't treat them like trial games, we still want to win, but it's going to take a couple of games to be a learning experience, and hopefully in the back end we can turn it on."
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A number of Coolamon's players also play netball for the club, but a handful have opted to stay with their incumbent clubs.
"We've got some netballers who were already playing footy with other teams and have stuck with the clubs they're at. Which is fine, that's how it works," he said.
"It would have been handy to have a couple more experienced players to help with the young ones. But the girls we've got are all willing to learn.
"We've got enough players, but we've got some girls travelling and it's hard to get everyone to train together."
Neyland feels the matches, which will mainly be played on Friday night, will add another social element to the football landscape.
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