WAFL 2023 Season Preview – SubiacoThursday, March 30, 2023 - 2:30 PM - by Chris Pike

IT was a rare down season in 2022 for Subiaco but the Lions have taken some tough lessons from that and implemented them into 2023 with premiership coach Beau Wardman confident of a strong bounce back season.

On the back of winning a fifth premiership in eight years in 2021, Subiaco hit a speed bump in 2022 winning just seven games and missing out on finals for only the second time in the past nine seasons.

It has been an off-season of reflection at Subiaco with the eye on bouncing back emphatically quickly in 2023, and Wardman is confident of that happening now that the work has been done and they prepare to take on Perth in Round 1 at Mineral Resources Park.

While getting important players back from long-term injuries including Jack Mayo and welcoming back premiership ruckman Zac Clarke along with signing Taj Schofield and Kyron Hayden will be important, it's more about improving on where they fell down last year.

Right now with Round 1 approaching, Wardman is feeling good about Subiaco's chances of being right back in the finals hunt in 2023.

"We're flying, but I think all teams would say the same about their pre-season," Wardman told SEN WA.

"I think the boys after the disappointment of last year with not making the finals, I think there was a real drive across the pre-season and we saw that with their return to training at the end of November. 

"I think we've prepared better than what we did last year, which is pleasing and hopefully that translates into some on-field performances starting in Round 1."

Upon reflection on last year and having so many players coming in and out through injury, blooding so many new and younger players, and just not having that same connection is where Wardman felt left them falling down especially defensively.

"We were probably a bit deficient in how we defended last year as a group," he said. 

"Whether that was getting some consistency in personnel when we had the second most players used and 18 debutants, and only two players play the whole season. 

"So getting some consistency within our playing group had its challenges during the year and the system we wanted to be able to play to defend fell down a little bit. 

"So we've gone about implementing that and I think availability at this point in time has been really strong, and the group has been able to come together and with another year of development into some of those kids has seen really good growth."

While there are some personnel changes and certainly the loss of premiership stars Lachlan Delahunty, Brandon Matera and Harry Marsh hurt, Subiaco has no doubt their improvements off the field will have the team in a much better position to succeed.

"Matt Lester has come on board as our new strength and conditioning coach so he gives a slightly different voice in that respect," Wardman said.

"The boys have really bought into their gym program and running program, and that was probably a catalyst from a lot of the exit interviews last year. Some of the boys probably didn’t put the work in that’s required at this level to get the right results so there was some learning for individuals there and collectively. 

"I think the work they've put in over pre-season has been really strong. We've also brought in a couple of new coaches with Kara Antonio and Chayce Creedy who have really benefited our group at both ends of the ground. I think they are far better prepared this year than where we were at this point last year."

One natural addition for Subiaco is going to be the return to the forward-line of Mayo after his 2022 ended before it even started when he injured his knee in pre-season and had to knee to go a second reconstruction.

However, he will be ready to play at least some football come Round 1 and Wardman can't wait to add him back into the league set up.

"There's certainly no slowing Jack down and he can probably talk himself up as much as the best of them, but it was obviously really disappointing for him to miss all of last year with his ACL after our first practice game," he said. 

"But his attention to detail in his rehab has been really strong, and he's starting to flourish now and is doing full match practice for a few weeks now. 

"We'll look for him to come through the reserves in Round 1 and if he can get his running level up to where it was before, then he's a really tough match up because he's got that endurance, is a good overhead mark and obviously be a bit of a focal point up forward to assist the likes of Sokol, Borchet and Michael Braut."

Another premiership player back at Subiaco this season is Clarke who will lead the Lions in the ruck. Not only does Wardman expect him to quickly cement himself as perhaps the league's leading ruckman, but he will also be helping the next group of being big men develop at the Lions at the same time.

"Zac has been really good for us since coming back. It's obviously disappointing to lose him when he got delisted by Essendon in his second time around, we really wanted to get him back because he added huge value in his one season here," Wardman said.

"That isn’t only with his silver service in the ruck where he's one of the preeminent big men in the competition, but the work he's been able to do with some of the younger guys as well. 

"We're really pleased to get him back both in a playing capacity and even more so in a coaching and development role which is something that Zac indicated he wants to transition into. 

"He obviously has his gym down south and I reckon he's as big now as he's ever been and he also ran his quickest 2km trial as well which is great from a standards point of view from us. Hopefully it all goes well for him to have a big season and impact on the season, and pull a few people through the gates."

Now with Round 1 approaching, Wardman is looking forward to taking on Peter German's Perth but more than anything is sure that it's going to be the start of a rejuvenated Subiaco in 2023.

"I think we've had a pretty good preparation and Round 1 is going to be a great occasion with a 5pm bouncedown under lights out there at Mineral Resources which will be good," Wardman said.

"They're always tough to beat and no doubt Germo will have added his own flavour to the group, and they will be a really spirited and competitive group this year. 

"But we've really just got to focus on our own growth after what we put out last year which wasn’t at the level that Subiaco expects. You'll certainly see a much improved, fitter and more resilient group this year."