MID Coast Football coach Mick Grass admits his squad's pre-season training for the Herald Women's Premier League has been 'all over the shop.'
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The youthful Mid Coast open their campaign on Saturday against Adamstown Rosebuds at the Lake Macquarie Football Facility.
Flooding, closed roads and saturated fields have disrupted the preparation for more than six weeks.
"We had a session on Monday night and that's the best turnout we've had for a while,'' Grass said.
"In between we've been alternating between training indoors and outdoors. We were even using the hockey fields at one stage, but they're closed now.''
The team had another run on Wednesday night and this included a game against their reserve grade. Mid Coast played two trials in late January and early February but were unable to organise any further fixtures due to problems with wet weather.
Grass said there are continuing problems with training at Wayne Richards Field at Port Macquarie which was hit hard by flooding.
"You can't even pass a ball there because the field is so bad,'' he said.
"It'll need a lot of work to get it into shape.''
Further rain in Port Macquarie this week will exacerbate the problem. Mid Coast train at Port and Taree.
So Grass concedes Mid Coast will face a tough introduction against Rosebuds this weekend.
"But at least we'll have a qualify surface to play on,'' he added.
Mid Coast just missed a berth in the playoffs last year but Grass said more than half of that squad has moved on.
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"That's the way it is for us, we get players for one or two years and then they have to leave for work or to go to uni,'' he said.
However, he pointed out that it's a long season - played over 21 rounds.
"While you like to get a few wins up early it's not desperation if you don't,'' he said.
"It might take a few games for the younger players to get used to the pace and standard of the league.''
He said the midfield of Evie Bobilak, Kirrilee Hughes and Chelsea Hall will hold the key for Mid Coast in the early season games. Mid Coast is the only club in the league not based in the Newcastle Hunter region.
