AS the Shoalhaven Tigers women's team prepare to tip-off their Waratah League Two season, they'll be relying primarily on a new squad from their 2019 campaign.
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Starting at the top, Kerrianne Allan will return to the sidelines for the first time since 2017.
"I had a couple of years away from it and really missed it, so I thought I'd get back involved and am now loving it," Allan said.
"In the past, our Tigers teams have gone close but couldn't quite get over the hump.
"But with our balanced side, there's no reason why we can't make it back to finals basketball."
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That side is headlined by the return of Kate Kennedy and Olivia Patterson, who were both pregnant in 2019.
That duo will be joined by former Tigers Carlin Day and Molly Brown, as well as 2019 representatives Mary Jane Toole and Georgia Joseph.
Rounding out the Kennedy's Tours Tigers squad will be recruit Kelsey Johnson (Sydney) and club juniors Emma Drury, Renae Drury and Lucy Floyd.
"We've got an interesting balance in the side, which is once again guard-heavy," said Allan - who hasn't ruled out pulling on the boots herself.
"A couple of the older girls have returned and it creates an exciting dynamic with our younger players.
"I'm sure it'll take a little time to develop that cohesion but it'll happen."
The Tigers get their first chance to put their pre-season training, which started in November, to good use when they travel to the Snakepit on Saturday to face Illawarra, coached by Tracey Clarke.
"Illawarra appears to have a young side too, which features former Tigers Chelsea Hogg and Jaymee McPherson," Allan said.
"A win on Saturday, against the old rival, will give the whole group a lot of confidence for the season ahead.
"To ensure we do claim victory, because we are quite small as a group, everyone needs to box out their opponents and rebound as a team - we can't just rely on Molly [Brown], who adds a different dimension to our side, to get every single board.
"Once we do secure the ball, we've got to use our speed up and down the court to our advantage."
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With the Tigers handed a positive draw in 2020, Allan knows there are no excuses why they won't be playing at the Waratah League final at the Shoalhaven Indoor Sports Centre in August.
"In years past, with the sporadic draw, it's been hard to build momentum and quite often you back on old habits," she said.
"This year, with a solid draw, we are going to take each game as it comes and aim to gradually build consistency every time we step on the court.
"It's a massive year for the Tigers and the opportunity to play finals basketball on our home court and in front of all our fans will be driving us all year.
"Everyone is excited and can't wait to get started on Saturday."
Tip-off against the Hawks is at 4pm on Saturday.