Abby Pettifer has taken the reins as coach, but outgoing boss Grace Hammond has remained with the side, as have almost all the existing talent that surged from fifth to the preliminary final last September.
Hammond was at the helm for three seasons, winning the premiership in her debut campaign in 2023 before leading the side to back-to-back preliminary finals in 2024 and 2025.
Adding to the existing quality, the club has brought in a strong crop of talented recruits, including 2024 GVL grand final best-on-court Hollie Reid, and runner-up in the 2015 league medal Chicky Vick (née Barr).
“I really tried to make sure that we kept all of our existing girls, as many as we could, and then with the recruits that we've got I really pushed for local players,” Pettifer said.
“Hollie Reid is a Tonny girl so, not only is she an absolute star, but that's her home club as well.
“Chicky (Vick’s) played for Tonny before, so just trying to bring some of those familiar faces back, and hopefully, we can keep them there as well.
“It’s my main goal not to try and get someone to come for a season and then head off, it’s about the longevity of the club too.”
In a side stacked with talent, one of the challenges will be finding the best combinations on the court, and Pettifer says she plans to experiment early in the year to get a better idea what she’s working with.
“I’m not going to put all my eggs in one basket because we’ve got a team full of absolute stars,” she said.
“Trying to make sure that we mesh well together is my main aim for this first half of the season.”
The quality of the side on paper will be put to the test on the court in the opening round on Friday, as the Blues are thrown straight into a preliminary final rematch against Nathalia.
The Purples were full of quality in 2025, only dropping their four meetings with unbeaten champion Rumbalara during the year.
“We never underestimate Nathalia, I never did when I was playing A-grade either, so hopefully we can get out there and show them that we’re going from strength to strength,” Pettifer said.
“We don’t underestimate their abilities, so it’s just trying to maintain cool heads on the court.
“We've got a lot of pace, which can sometimes work to your detriment, so hopefully we can control that pace and control the game.”
The A-grade contest gets under way at Tongala Recreation Reserve from 1.30pm this Friday.
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