'Self-driven' footballers impress coach as pre-season kicks off

The Blues returned to the Reid Oval training track on Wednesday, November 22 with O'Keefe estimating 50-odd players were put through their paces ahead of the 2024 Hampden league season.

"A lot of people have mentioned to me 'gee, you've had the boys working hard over the past six to eight weeks' but honestly I haven't done much at all," he said.

"The players have been very self-driven the last couple of months. It's been so nice to see on our internal group channels how much they've been working together even involving the netball group."

O'Keefe said the results were evident.

"There would be half a dozen players last night that I saw, just in one session, that have lost weight and trimmed down or have seriously picked up their running," he said.

Warrnambool also rolled out a new initiative.

"Something that's a little bit different is there is an opportunity for every player to purchase a footy - a brand new Sherrin - at a subsidised price that has been helped out by some sponsors," O'Keefe said.

"That gives us the ability to have a heap of footballs at training. They are theirs to keep forever but they have to bring that ball to training every session.

"It's just a luxury because it's a hard thing for any footy club to have good footies."

The Blues' list has swelled to 70-plus players with brothers Zac and Fletcher Timms, who have crossed from North Warrnambool Eagles, among the latest batch of recruits.

"Their grandfather may be a life member at the footy club," O'Keefe said.

"There is a connection that way plus they have a lot of good mates at our footy club as well.

"Zac is still in Melbourne next season with uni (and will travel back) and Fletcher hit the training track last night and has been pretty keen and doing a bit of work off the field."

Zac, the older of the two, featured in 12 senior games for the Eagles in 2023 while Fletcher played 17.

"They're good athletes, they bring some speed," O'Keefe said.

"I think Zac is still probably a little bit untried so he has lots of potential and Fletcher has played a fair bit of senior footy as a young fella."

Warrnambool's list size will require some juggling.

"It's a great thing what we've got with numbers but it also creates a bit of a challenge as well moving forward," O'Keefe said.

"We're talking 70-plus people for two teams at the moment. We are encouraging everyone to train between now and Christmas.

"It is a challenge - once we come game time 75 players don't fit into two (seniors and reserves) teams.

"But at the same time, what it does do is it drives hunger. It is going to be very competitive the next few weeks and as we get into praccy games."

Star recruit Ben Cunnington was a noticeable absentee on night one.

The former North Melbourne midfielder is still based in Melbourne while his children see out the school year.

O'Keefe said Cunnington was likely to make an appearance before Christmas and would be a regular in the new year.