Diggers Rest coach Jamie Lobb discusses Burras 2021 RDFL hopes

The standard of pre-season training at Diggers Rest as surprised even coach Jamie Lobb as the Burras look to make amends for their 2019 preliminary final exit.

After 12 months off Diggers Rest coach Jamie Lobb has been pleasantly surprised by his team’s pre-season standards.

The Burras have had strong numbers on the track in the new year and put on an impressive display in Saturday’s first practice match against former RDFL rival Rupertswood.

“We’re looking pretty sharp at the moment, we’ve had some good numbers on the track, which has been a pleasant surprise,” Lobb said.

“The guys have embraced training more than they normally would, I think they’re just happy to be out there having a run again.

“Since we’ve come back, from Australia Day onwards, we’ve had most of the guys on the track and I’m been impressed by the group itself.

Matt Krul is back in Diggers Rest colours in 2021. Picture: Aaron Cook

“We’ve taken on the challenge of coming off such a big break and really wanted to knuckle down and get into the work.”

After a strong recruiting campaign before the cancelled 2020 season, Diggers have added more firepower for 2021.

Mitch Brockwell and Ben McMahon have arrived from Ballarat league club Melton and Matt Krul has returned from Romsey.

The trio add to the likes of reigning Bowen Medallist Jaidyn Caruana (Romsey), Chris Lawton (Airport West), Jason Williams and Jesse Flannery (both injury) who were set to play last season.

“We’re pretty stable from where we were last year. We put together a pretty good list for last year,” Lobb said.

With the sting of a preliminary final defeat from 2019 still burning, the Burras have high expectations.

“The club sets pretty high standards, since I joined in 2015 there’s never been talk of being happy to make finals,” Lobb said.

“We’re in it to win it and every year we put a list together that we think we go out and win grand finals.

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“I’ve been in situations at previous clubs where you can have the best list in the comp but you’ve still got to make sure the ground work get done otherwise it can go south pretty quickly.

“The pressure’s not on but the expectation is there that we go deep into a finals series.

“Credit to the club, the committee, the president that we as a club have been able to say that for a long time now.”

Diggers Rest’s RDFL campaign kicks off on Saturday, April 17 at home against Woodend-Hesket.