Romsey coach Nathan Blair discusses the Redbacks’ expectations and recruits

An imposing key forward combination and the continued growth of young talent has Romsey coach Nathan Blair aiming high in 2025 after a series of early finals exits.

Nathan Rayment in action for Romsey. Picture: Josh Chadwick

Romsey coach Nathan Blair is sick of being thereabouts.

The Redbacks are aiming to push back into Riddell District premiership contention this season after another elimination final exit last year.

The club has played finals every season since 2017 but won just one game and been bundled out in the first week four times.

Blair, already a club great, takes the coaching reins for the first time in 2025 and believes the club has the right mix of experience and youth to push the competition’s best.

“We were pretty disappointed, we fell out of form at the wrong end of the year,” Blair said.

“We’re always around the mark but now it’s about us taking the next step.

Sam Wilson in action for Romsey. Picture: Josh Chadwick

“We’re aware all clubs have recruited well and everyone is going to get better and we wouldn’t want it any other way.

“But we’re sick of being around the mark, we’ve got a lot of young blokes in their third or fourth year of footy and it’s time for them to take the game on.

“We want to be competitive, take it up to the top sides in Riddell and Wallan, Kyneton’s going to be good this year, Macedon, the list goes on, you can go through nearly every side.

“Expectations are to be there for the big dance, if you’re not thinking that way at this time of year you might as well pack it up.”

Romsey has retained the majority of its list and bolstered its line-up with key forward Joe Stapleton and Callum Lever, cousin of AFL Demon Jake and VFL defender Tyson.

Stapleton arrives from Ovens and Murray power Lavington, where he played six reserve grade games last season but he has previously represented the Sydney Swans reserves and spent a year at EDFL Premier Division club Maribyrnong Park.

Lever played three senior matches for Ballarat league club Sunbury last year and won a BFNL reserve grade premiership in 2023.

Perhaps most significantly, star forward Jack Jedwab will return full-time to Romsey Reserve after a year on Essendon’s VFL list.

Nathan Rayment celebrates a goal with Darcy Lockens. Picture: Josh Chadwick

Blair was looking forward to seeing Jedwab and Stapleton combine in attack.

“It’s probably something we needed to address at the end of last year – having a forward set-up,” he said.

“Having those two now full-time, it’s something we can work towards and have a gameplan set up around that structure.

“We’ve got Jack full-time, so we can almost classify him as a recruit and it allows us to get a gameplan together, knowing we’re going to have him every week.

“Joe is be a big, tall forward but can swing both ends of the ground and Cal Lever, his leadership and skills will be a big asset.”

Blair has been impressed with pre-season training with 50 players regularly on the track.

He’s looking for the club’s next generation to take the next step if the club is to challenge for a first flag since 2015.

“It’s a lot easier for myself and the coaches trying to get the gameplan across and make things happen.

“Those numbers show we’re going to have a lot more depth this year and with our reserves team making the grand final last year, they’re only going to get stronger, which is going to make us stronger and create a fight for spots.

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“We’ve got Kane Brinkhuis, Sam Wilson, Cal Sankey, Darcy Lockens is looking at another big year and Darcy Peavey and Liam Muir.

“The younger guys, it’s their time to step up and that’s where our improvement is going to come.

“We know what we’re going to get from the likes of Matty Burkett, Jack Jedwab and the Tessari brothers, so now it’s about us combining and getting some success throughout the club.”

Romsey kicks off its 2025 campaign away to wooden spooner Lancefield before facing semi-finalist Diggers Rest, grand finalist Wallan and preliminary finalist Macedon in a difficult opening month.