GNFL 2024 season preview: Who will be the team sitting on top when all is said and done?

Footy in Geraldton is back! After a long off-season which saw many players switch clubs, the Great Northern Football League will finally get underway for what promises to be an intriguing season, with round one kicking off this weekend.

2023 was one of the most memorable seasons in recent history, with polarising storylines and controversial finishes, but 2024 looks to top that after a chaotic off-season.

The small town widely known as a football factory that reached the pinnacle became a Statewide story after Northampton took home the flag for the first time in 19 years.

It saw AFL legends Josh Kennedy and Harry Taylor team up and help bring home the cup for their boyhood clubs.

The side looks ready to run the league again, with both ex-AFL stars set to feature during the season after Taylor led the league in goals kicked ... but he may have trouble re-claiming the award with Kennedy in the side.

In the big dance they beat Railways, who thought they had won it all due to a scoreboard error but were left with nothing after the game was sent into overtime.

Now the Blues are out for redemption this season as the side looks to move past the loss, but it will still loom over the club until they can shake it off come finals.

When the teams line up for their first hit out, many players will be donning new colours after all the off-season movement that occurred.

The most notable was the Schofield brothers leaving Brigades in favour for Chapman Valley, with Jayden Schofield taking on the role as the Royals’ new player-coach and bringing along his brother and JJ Clune medallist Kim Schofield.

The Royals also landed another pair of brothers in Kobe and Beau Simpson from Rovers.

The question of how far the new-look Valley will go will be at the forefront of the season, with the club holding the longest premiership drought, dating back to 1992.

With the Schofields’ departure, it leaves Brigades looking like a different side, but the Hawks managed to retain most of their minor premiership winning core from last year.

Player-coaches seems to have come back in fashion in the GNFL, with three clubs now featuring the hybrid set up.

Rovers promoted long-time player and former JJ Clune medallist Chris Scott into the role, who has big shoes to fill after three-time GNFL premiership winning coach Ian Comben stepped down.

At Wonthella, Towns have welcomed the addition of Beau Walker from the Rams, who will work alongside Dayle Baynes to speed up the Bulldogs’ rebuild.

Walker comes into the side off a premiership win and experience player-coaching in the past.

While some teams opted to look outside to improve, Mullewa has gone from the ground up and prioritised bringing their youth through.

The Saints have struggled in recent years, but their colts side is coming off a premiership win and many of the young players will be expected to step up for the men’s side.

The rising Saints program has proven to be a massive success as Mullewa’s rebuild is on the cusp of providing a competitive squad, proving the league is in safe hands.

In the women’s competition, Towns are set up to be a force after recruiting Jessica Giudice-Nairn from Brigades to be their new player-coach.

She immediately impacted the club, bringing over teammates from the undefeated Hawks side, including Gemma Dix.

Winning the competition’s best and fairest last year, Dix will now share the field alongside the award’s co-winner Olivia Bidwell and the team has seemingly all the ingredients for success. The exodus leaves Brigades in a rebuild phase after they claimed the flag last year in an undefeated season.

The Chapman Valley girls are coming off an up and down year for their standards, which still saw them in the grand final.

They will be running out under a new coach in Valley legend Jake Hipper, who takes over the reins of a roster that is still stacked with talent.

After claiming their first win in club history last year, Rovers women’s will hope to pick up a few more this season.

If pre-season is any indication to go off, they should go well after thumping Jurien Bay in a hit out.

The Mullewa women’s side is also hoping to improve on their one-win record from last season.

One team that won’t be lining up in 2024 is the women’s Railways side as number shortages have forced the Blues ladies to forgo the season.

In the bigger picture, country week will be an exciting storyline across all divisions as Great Northern looks to bring home titles in 2024.

The men’s country side returned to the competition last year and proved Geraldton was rich with talent, reaching the grand final under coach Leith Teakle.

While the women didn’t make it to the big dance, they took down a previously unbeaten South West side and will look to go further this year.

The colts side came as close as possible with a one-point loss in the country week grand final, but will hope to get the win this time around.

On the eve of the first bouncedown of the season, the race for the flag is sure to be an exciting one.