WFNL 2021 Focus: Young stars to lead Nhill in the new season

That's the message from coach Jaye Macumber, and with the Tigers transitioning away from traditional recruiting strategies it could prove to be the ultimate prophecy.

A well-respected coach and Wimmera football figure, Macumber took one the job in late 2019 with one goal in mind - re-invigorate the club's connection to the community.

Locals should be turning up to watch locals play, and it should be that homegrown talent that leads the Tigers to success.

"Traditionally, with Nhill, the talk was always about who's the big recruits, or who is coming down from Melbourne and Adelaide," Macumber said.

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"I always get disappointed with that because that's not what we should be focusing on.

"We should be encouraging our locals to be the superstars of the league.

"We're lucky in the sense that we've got so many young blokes in our side who have worked hard in the pre-season on developing their game and I'd like to think they'll be the guys that will be talked about.

"We shouldn't rely on blokes coming in with big names or big reputations on big paypackets.

"You'd rather see the young blokes do well. Their grandparents turn up to watch them play and they can be proud of those young boys out there representing their town and representing their family."

Ed Pritchard will be back in the navy and teal after spending 2019 with Portland in the Hampden Football League.

Pritchard played his junior football for Nhill and impressed in pre-season alongside fellow homegrown guns Jarred Dahlenburg and Angus Wheaton.

"Those two have been really great at training," Macumber said. "They've been really strong leaders and (it's just been great) to see those young blokes develop.

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"We're going to be a really young group this year, that's just how it's going to be.

"A lot of the kids that we'll have play in round one were only 15-year-olds the last time they played about 18 months ago.

"At the end we hope we can look back and think 'gee whiz these kids are men, they play senior footy in the Wimmera league and they're the guns now."

Macumber said the Nhill township was right behind his charges.

"People are coming to watch training and passing on kind words over the fence," he said.

"With any sport that's going on the locals really get behind it. They're very passionate about and there's every reason the boys can draw some energy from that and give something back.

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