AS CLUBS kick their new season preparations into top gear, inbound recruitment is usually all the talk.

And on that score, Wonthaggi was hoping to sign experienced Port Melbourne campaigner Anthony Anastasio before he tragically damaged his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in recent weeks.

But the reality is that most of the Power’s upside in 2025 will come from homegrown talent either returning from injury or after time away.

And top of the list of those returning from injury are key defender Kyle Reid and powerful onballer Brodie Mabilia, both back in full training and showing all the signs of getting back to their best ahead of the club’s first ‘home and away’ game against Warragul at Wonthaggi on Saturday, April 5 less than eight weeks away.

Added to that, the club will be able to bank on the services of Ryan Sparks week-in week-out, after an impressive season with Collingwood in the VFL.

Others including Tom Murray returning from injury and young Jarvis Harvey returning after two years at Inverloch-Kongwak including 14 eye-catching games for the seniors in 2024, will further boost the Power, which frankly, doesn’t need a lot to make it a force again in 2025.

After losing several top names to injury and promotion at the start of 2024, the Power lost five of its first seven games and looked set to struggle to repeat the heroics of the previous few years under favourite son, coach Jarryd Blair.

But the club blooded plenty of its own talent and saw pleasing improvement across the playing group through the season, so much so that they not only made the finals, but convincingly won their elimination final against Sale before going down to the eventual premiers Traralgon, on a steep improvement curve themselves, in the first semi-final.

President of the Wonthaggi Power Football Netball Club, Peter Liddle, is delighted with how the season is shaping up on and off the track, and while the return of some homegrown talent is welcome, he’s especially pleased with the numbers, talent and enthusiasm in the club’s underage ranks.

“We’ve already got good numbers turning up for training in the Under 16s and Under 18s and will be back to fielding teams in both competitions this year which is great,” said Peter Liddle.

After joining forces to take the Under 16s through to the finals last year, coaches Glenn Jobe and Matt Pugh have taken charge of the Under 16s and Under 18s respectively and are looking forward to a competitive year in both divisions.

After a training camp at Portsea in the next few weeks, Wonthaggi Power has a series of practice matches planned including:

· Saturday, March 15 Intraclub practice matches

· Saturday, March 22 Nar Nar Goon at Wonthaggi

· Saturday, March 29 Noble Park at Phillip Island (Newhaven College). Same day as the VFL Hawks game at Wonthaggi.

· Saturday, April 5 Gippsland League first round versus Warragul at Wonthaggi.