WAHGUNYAH coach Kodee Lowe understands the Lions are coming from a long way back in the Tallangatta and District league. But with the club having a huge turnover of players since 2019, he says anything is possible. The Border Mail caught up with Lowe this week.
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BRETT KOHLHAGEN: Wahgunyah won only one game under yourself and Nathan Parker in 2019. A lot has changed with player personnel since then hasn't it?
KODEE LOWE: Definitely. We picked up 14 players for last season and four of them dropped out for this year without playing a game. On the flip-side, we picked up another seven for this year. So we have recruited 17 over the past two years which is massive. Most of them are former players which is good.
BK: Tell us about a few of the recruits?
KL: Adam Roney has captained Skipton in Melbourne and is playing for the Crocs in Darwin at the moment. He's a Wahgunyah boy who I played with in a third grade premiership a long time ago. He's doing uni in Melbourne. Brady and Jacob Bartlett are back from Moyhu, Cooper Bennett is over from Rennie and then you have Matt Dutton and Noah Zurvas who are young blokes coming on board. Alex Wallis and Dean Ewing came over from Corowa-Rutherglen last year. There are some other good recruits joining the club as well.
BK: I imagine you've lost a few?
KL: Matt Grantham, Mitch A'vard and Bodhi Beasley are the main ones.
BK: You've coached some of the younger blokes in the side haven't you?
KL: I coached the thirds when I did my knee in 2017. I helped out that year because I was sitting at home with a busted knee and wanted to do something. It has certainly helped with recruiting as you know them better.
BK: Has Wahgunyah been advantaged or disadvantaged with last season being called off?
KL: To be honest, I think it hurt us. On the recruiting front, it's hard because everyone looks where you finished the previous year and we only had one win .Momentum is a big thing when you are trying to recruit. I think we are in a great position compared to where we were a couple of years ago. We need to put it to the test now and start winning games.
BK: Who has been starring on the track?
KL: Cooper Bennett has been flying. Lachie Conboy and Alex Wallis have also been unreal.
BK: You are coaching solo this year aren't you?
KL: That's right. Nathan Parker stepped down due to family reasons. Rod Garthwaite is my assistant. His son Ryan (plays for Richmond) has been coming down a fair bit which has been good. He's loved it and so have the boys.
BK: How many practice matches have you lined up?
KL: Three. We play North Wagga, Tocumwal and finish up with Lalor from Melbourne.
BK: And finally, do you think there are any stand-out sides in the Tallangatta league for 2021?
KL: I know Tyson Smith pretty well and he will have the troops firing at Tallangatta. Barnawartha will also be very competitive.
