Diggers will be looking to hit the ground running for their first game of the first grade season when they take on Exies Eagles at Exies No 2 on Saturday afternoon.
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It will be a new look Diggers side who lost in the preliminary final to Leagues last season with Theo Valeri back in charge, having led them to success in the 2018/19 season.
The Diggers have picked up Dean Bennett from Coro as well as Josh Lanham, Reece Maguire and Angus Boulton, who have come across from Leeton. Boulton is no stranger to the GDCA competition, having played a couple of games for Coro last season.
Valeri is looking forward to heading out to the middle, but the forecast might prove to be a hurdle.
There is 16-35mm expected to fall in the leadup to the weekend, including 5-10mm on Friday, which would make it highly unlikely that play would take place if the predictions were to hold up.
"It has been a pretty long build-up, and everyone is raring to go," he said.
"It (forecast) isn't looking good at all, but you never know, and hopefully it does clear up, but the time the weekend comes anyway because it will be good to get a game in."
Lanham had a hit out with the Diggers second-grade side last weekend, and Valeri was pleased to see him able to put runs on the board.
"It was good for him to have an early hit, and he said he was seeing them well, so it is good news for us," he said.
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Valeri is happy with the make-up of the side but is playing down their chances at this stage.
"All four of them that we have brought in are all all-rounders. It is a good problem to have when you have too many batters and too many bowlers," he said.
"Trevor will miss the first couple of weeks off. He is going on holiday and is going to get back into it just before Christmas or a bit after.
"We are just taking it one game at a time. With a new team and sort of learning how everyone plays together so we will just be taking our time and whatever comes from comes."
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