Coach: Linda Charlton.
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Last season: Premiers.
Gains: Tamir Richardson (CDHBU), Madeline Irvine (Leeton Whitton).
Losses: Christine Oguche, Liv Sanson (university), Brooke Wilson (relocated), Maddy Plunkett, Steph Clancy.
Q&A with Linda Charlton
How has your preseason been?
We've got a young and enthusiastic group, so that's been really exciting for us. We've been working hard and getting ready for the season.
Any players you think we should watch out for this season?
We'll be looking to our remaining premiership players to really step up, which I know they will. I don't doubt that Tayla Furborough, Kate Mastronardi and Audrey Adams will provide a really awesome defence end for us. We're really excited about Tamir Richardson. We definitely think she's a name to watch and will really make her mark on the competition.
What are your expectations for this season?
We've got a pretty new side, so we'll need to see how it comes together. I feel like the competition has changed a lot in the last year and has really evened out. We're not really going in with any expectations, just like we did last year. We'll just take it week by week and see how we go.
Who do you expect to see among the top teams?
I think Yarrawonga and Wangaratta will look to bounce back pretty strong from last year's finals. I think Raiders will obviously be really strong again, and I think the competition in general is looking pretty strong.
We say: It will be a hard task for the Panthers to defend their stance as premiers as they take a newly formed team onto the court this season. It's been an unsettled preseason period for the club after Beck O'Connell relinquished the coaching job, however, premiership coach Charlton transitions back into the role seamlessly. There's still plenty of experience on court in two-time Toni Wilson Medallist Maddi Lloyd and premiership player Ange Demamiel, however, a new goaling combination may take time to adjust.
Prediction: Fifth.
