GSFLW 2024: Culture and stability the focus for Mt Barker ahead of the new season under coach Sheridan Kowald

Short-term goals will be the focus for Mt Barker in the upcoming Great Southern Football League Women’s season, as they welcome new coach Sheridan Kowald. The Bulls had just one win in 2023 but Kowald insists her side will not measure their success based on their win-loss ratio, but will instead gauge their triumphs on building their culture and stability at Sounness Park. Kowald played 16 WAWFL games for South Fremantle between 2020-2022 and also played for the WA State side. “This year, we’re just trying to focus on building a culture that just keeps girls interested and creating stability with the players,” Kowald said. “Hopefully trying to entice some people from the wider community that can see what we’re building and the culture that we’re building to come into our playing environment. “We want to make it inviting enough to kind of get some more players interested. “This year, we will also try and build that mateship and that teammate-ship and really try to stick to a few goals that we all agreed on earlier in the season. “Tick the small little boxes and then hopefully we can get some reward. “If it’s not a win, we have our own personal goals and if we can tick them off, then that’s a win in our books anyway. “We can’t expect the world straight away; it’s all little small steps and just trying to do the small things to achieve the bigger things later on down the tracks.” While securing victories may not be the primary objective for the Bulls, Kowald is confident they have some exciting talent to unleash come round one. Former Shark Grace Jones will now don the Bulls’ colours and the team eagerly embraces the full-time inclusion of midfield star Kaitlin Eades, following her five-game season in 2022. Kowald is also bullish on her latest addition to the wing, 16-year-old sensation Lilly Fiegert. “Grace Jones is a good asset to the team and Lilly has come from a soccer background,” Kowald said. “It’s her (Fiegert) first time playing footy but she has rarely missed the training and she’s absolutely blitzing it. “She’s a ball of fitness and she was great when she first came down but now how she kicks marks and carries the ball — I’m actually blown away. “I think she’s going to be really good to watch and I’m quite excited to see what she can do. “Kaitlin comes back and she was runner-up fairest and best off the back of five games so it will be good to have her all season.” The Bulls will do battle with Railways in the first game of the season as part of the triple-header to open the new GSFLW season at McLean Oval on Saturday, February 3. Their first game at home comes in round two against Denmark-Walpole. MT BARKER 2023 finish: Last Captain: Sarah Eisenberg Coach: Sherdian Kowald Key players: Grace Jones, Lilly Feigert and Kaitlin Eades. Prediction: The Bulls are set for a year of development under the tutelage of former WAWFL player Sheridan Kowald. Expect them to vastly improve as the season goes on especially with some exciting young talent emerging. They have the potential cause some serious upsets at the pointy end of the season.