SNFL: Narre Warren hopeful a large and youthful list can propel it to finals in its first Southern season

Find out why Narre Warren coach Steven Kidd believes his side can be propelled to a finals appearance in its Southern League debut.

Narre Warren are the reigning Outer East premiers. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Narre Warren has never been short of ambition.

It’s why the south eastern power club has averaged a premiership every second season for the past 18 years.

Now, with the Magpies set to step straight into Division 1 Southern league football becoming the latest departure from the Outer East competition, coach Steven Kidd is hopeful the club’s burgeoning pool of youth can propel it to a maiden Southern finals appearance.

“Initially the goal will be to try and make finals, that’s the sight we’re setting ourselves on and what we want to try and achieve is to be there in September,” Kidd said of Narre Warren’s aim for the year ahead.

“That’s what we’re talking about at the moment and is the expectation or hope, we’ll reassess that mid-year, but assuming we get a good run with injuries we should be able to finish around the middle of the pack at least or make finals.

“We’re really hoping that our depth holds us in good stead, we’ve got a fair amount of players on the list.”

In total, the Magpies boast more than 50 senior players heading into 2025, and will also field two under-19 teams.

“We feel like we’ll get some good guys coming out of there as well that will play some senior footy at some stage,” Kidd said.

After an unsuccessful attempt to join the MPNFL in 2023, Kidd said that being able to keep the club’s netball program together was a big factor in landing in the Southern league.

Narre Warren coach Steven Kidd. Picture: Valeriu Campan

“The competition’s getting stronger … we want to continue to build ourselves,” Kidd added.

“We had a few players leave over the last couple of years, maybe challenge issues I suppose.”

This off-season, the Pies have lost both Jordan and Matt Butera to Cora Lynn, while three-time premiership player Brad Scalzo has retired.

They have picked up Jett Kearney from Berwick Springs, while champion goalkicker Jake Richardson has also returned, as has Bailey Mayworm after a season with Hampton Park.

“A few under-19s have come up, we’re just another year older, we haven’t made too many changes with our list,” Kidd said.

“We still felt like we were pretty young last year, a few guys that have come back look more mature body-wise which is good.”

Narre added its latest flag to the cabinet last season with a 40-point Outer East grand final win over Wandin.

“We felt at the start of last year that we were in a building phase anyway,” Kidd said.

“To get where we got to last year was a bit of a surprise from the start of the year … with the young group we had and the amount of guys coming from the 19s and reserves into the senior side we felt like we were building.

“We feel like we’re in a similar position but against stronger teams week in, week out.”