While the NTFA season will see no football played before at least May 31, teams are still mentally preparing for their shots at glory.
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In the sixth of a series of previews on the NTFA's premier division, The Examiner looks at Longford, who blazed through the season as minor premiers before suffering some crushing defeats.
Coach: Beau Thorp
Captain: Josh Frankcombe
2019 finish: Minor premiers. Eliminated by Hillwood in preliminary final.
Ins: Luke Murfitt-Cowen (OSFA), Connor Pearton, Dylan Headland, Jaidyn Harris (all North Launceston), Sam Bruinewoud (Launceston), Connor Neil (Launceston).
Outs: Baden Alexander (injured in preliminary final).
Who's impressed: "A couple of the new guys in Jaidyn Harris and Connor Pearton have been fantastic," Thorp said.
"We have the two Bennett brothers [Mitch and Daniel] and Lachlan Dakin who have really stepped from last season, so some of their work during the pre-season has been amazing."
Coach says: "Internally last year, we knew we were capable of playing some of the footy that we did. Obviously it was disappointing not to make it to the grand final but this year we've really stepped up our pre-season on and off the track - structurally and physically.
"In my three years at the footy club, it's by far been our best pre-season so we were shaping up to be really competitive early on in the season.
"Heading into last year, some of the guys probably didn't believe we could play finals until we stepped onto the park where the mindset changed that we could play some decent finals footy.
"Obviously as the season went on, the highs were pretty high but the lows at the end of the year were really low, so I think that hurt a few of our senior players and the attitude coming into this pre-season really came off that sour taste from last year's finals.
"With the young group that we have, we've really needed the senior players to lead them and show them the way.
"It's worked like a double-edged sword - it's pushed the older guys to pull their fingers out but also the leadership shown by the leadership group and our middle-aged players has been really good.
"Josh Frankcombe will take over from Tom Cox as captain and he's really led the way with his leadership. All our players around the 23-24-year-old mark and there's a lot of them, have taken on a senior leadership role around the club.
"A lot of the players are leading themselves through programs written by myself and other coaching staff but also keeping themselves mentally fit as well.
OTHER PREVIEWS
"We went through a tough pre-season so obviously having the big break now, there's a mental refresh that needs to be there.
"All the boys are training in pairs or by themselves where they live or on their local ovals."
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