Blue skies ahead: Recruits bolster Nirranda's flag hopes

The Warrnambool and District league netball powerhouse has unveiled four quality additions - former Old Collegians mentor Meagan Forth, ex-Merrivale midcourter Chantelle Moloney, defender Lisa Anders and Terang Mortlake's Samantha Couch - to bolster its depth.

Blues coach Steph Townsend said the recruits would add to the club's strong nucleus of players.

Nirranda has retained all but defender Hayley Pouw, who is focusing on university studies. "Lisa (Anders) is looking fantastic, she's worked incredibly hard and is looking super fit. Chantelle will be a very handy player," Townsend said.

"Sam Couch is Jo and Lisa Couch's sister-in-law and Meagan is a really dear friend of mine.

"It'll be good to see her coming back from having a baby and it'll be nice to have her on the same side as me and not playing against her."

Townsend said all four would provide vital leadership qualities.

She said pre-season training had been heavily geared around skills and structures while the netballers had also linked up with the Blues' footballers for fitness sessions.

"We'll have those few new faces and we've spent a bit of time on court getting a feel for different combinations and whatnot," Townsend said.

"We're looking forward to getting everyone out there, jumping on the court and seeing how we come together as a team.

"(The year off due to COVID-19) has given the girls a bit of a new lease on life and it's been really nice to come to pre-season and be really reinvigorated to play netball."

Nirranda, which lost the 2019 grand final to Merrivale, will play South Rovers in round one.

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