EXCITEMENT BUILDS AHEAD OF NEWPORT’S DIVISION 1 DEBUT

As the 2025 TIV Division One Men’s football season approaches excitement levels are at an all-time high at Newport.

The Panthers are preparing for their first ever season in the WFNL’s top grade, making the step up alongside last year’s Division Two premiers Sunshine and runners up Albion.

It’s been a busy off-season for the club headlined by a raft of big signings including the recruitment of three-time Richmond premiership player Bachar Houli.

The man picked to coach the club in their historic first season of Division One football, Ali Hamad says anticipation could hardly be higher for the upcoming campaign.

“There’s massive excitement not just within the playing group but also within our community now that we’re in Division One,” Hamad said.

“To have players come back to the club, to be able to make some big signings and recruit quality players from other clubs and for them to see the club and team we are trying to build is special.

“It’s so exciting that there are honestly days that I struggle to go to sleep at night from how excited I am.”

Alongside the signing of Houli is an addition just as significant, the return of a former WFNL standout Nayef Hamad who starred in the EDFL’s premier division last year.

The Panthers have also added former and current VFL-listed players in Darcy Cassar, Lukmain Haddara and Phillip Moi Moi as well as bringing in several other strong recruits.

And it should come as no surprise that the club’s marquee signings are leading the way in preseason training and driving standards ahead of their top division debut.

“Thankfully we’ve got coaches and even players at the club that have connections, but it hasn’t been hard convincing people to join because it’s such an easy club to sell,” Hamad said.

“Bachar is all in, how many games he plays it’s totally up to him, his body and how he feels.

“Nayef comes back to the club as a 27-year-old having built a little profile for himself. He has a good relationship with all the players and is a really good one-on-one mentor.

“You bring in these players like Bachar, Nayef, Darcy Cassar, Luk Haddara and all of sudden the players that have been at the club whether it’s young players or more experienced players they lift that 10, 15, 20 per cent in training.

“It’s good bringing in A graders but there is no point having just A graders if your second tier players aren’t coming to the party too and it’s great to see our middle tier guys are doing that.”

Hamad said the positive feeling around the club hasn’t waned since preparations got underway prior to Christmas with the club so far having more than 70 players attend preseason training.

“I thought that the buzz might only stick around until Christmas but since we’ve come back from the break it’s been really positive and the energy and the buy in hasn’t changed, if anything it has gone up,” he said.

“We’re building a good environment and setting high standards, and the training is enjoyable but at the same time challenging, so words going around that we’re building something special.

“We’re going to have two Under 18 teams, a very healthy list of reserves and seniors along with plenty of numbers in the thirds, so the club is in a good way at the moment.”

While they won’t set too many expectations going into the season, Hamad said the team’s initial focus will be on kicking their first Division One goal, winning their first Division One quarter and building from there.

Newport’s first assignment is a clash with neighbours Spotswood, a rivalry that has never played out on the field but finally will now that both teams are in the same division.

And nothing would please the Panthers and Hamad more than winning that first game of the year in front of a large and vocal home crowd.

“It’s the talk of the town, the talk of the cafes and the gyms,” Hamad said.

“Most of our boys played the majority of their juniors at Spotswood, Bachar was a junior at Spotswood, and I coached for eight or nine years at Spotswood, there’s a lot of history there.

“I feel like we’re the little brother that’s now ready to come up and play against the bigger brother.

“We’ve seen it before, eventually the little brother comes in and shows the big brother up, so that’s the plan.”