'Everyone's really positive': Hillvue poised for Premier Division return

This weekend, the Rovers will field three senior men's teams - one in Third Grade, one in Reserve Grade, and one in the Premier Division.

It is the first time in over a decade that the club has had a Premier Division side, and the first since 2019 that they have played in First Grade.

"It's good to build the club back up," Hillvue president, Alex Barton, said.

"Everyone's excited to get back out there and play again, and for a lot of guys it's going to be a big step-up, but they're all feeling confident."

Barton, who has held the position of president since 2018, oversaw the club's struggles once the pandemic set in, which he said was "definitely a low point" for Hillvue.

But since then, he has worked with the committee to build back the club's numbers in both the senior and junior competitions.

From fielding one Third Grade team in 2020, to having three senior and three junior teams in 2022, Barton is thrilled by the resurgence in participation.

"We just focused on finding the right guys that wanted to be at the club," he said.

"Guys that were willing to put the effort in who shared our values. We've got a really good group of guys there at the moment, they're all really good mindset, everyone's really positive.

"There's a really good community there, it's getting stronger every year."

All three senior Rovers teams will get their campaigns underway this Saturday against Tamworth FC.

Each of the three sides, Barton said, are playing positive football and well-placed to have a crack at making finals in 2022.

"The Third Grade guys will go really well, we've got a few older boys that used to play First Grade, so they should go well," he said.

"Reserve and First Grade, I think we'll be very competitive. Our goal is to get them both into finals, and once you get into finals footy, anything can happen from there."

The Third Grade clash will get underway first this Friday from 6pm. It will be followed by the Reserve Grade game at 1pm on Saturday, and Reserve Grade will take place last at 3pm. All games will be held at the Gipps St playing fields.

Elsewhere in the Premier Division on Saturday, Moore Creek and OVA meet at Gipps St, while Kootingal and North Companions clash at Johnson Field.

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