Preparations for the 2008 season are in full swing, with the colts squad training on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6pm at Charles Riley Reserve and the seniors training on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The colts will switch to Mondays and Thursdays in season.

Again, the club will have two colts sides, one playing in the Phil Scott Division and the other in the Ian Dargie division. Already there is some excitement within the squad.

At training this week, the coaching staff of Richard Bewick (Phil Scott), Gary Stocks and Dave Barwick (Ian Dargie) have been impressed with the skill level of the guys.

Numbers have been strong and all indicators are good as we move towards the start of the season.

With around 60 colts-eligible players training in the first month of pre-season it has been very encouraging.

Last year marked the first time in many seasons that the club managed to pull together two colts squads and it is exciting for the future of North Beach.

There were some outstanding young players in the squad last season and some of those guys will be pressing for selection in the senior team this year. Players like Marc Welsh, Andrew Langford, Cale Potts and David Green will be hoping to apply pressure for senior opportunities.

Senior coach Bill Duckworth has encouraged the pathway from colts to A-grade in recent years and that trend is unlikely to change.

While the colts have enjoyed good numbers, with 40-odd players at each session this week, the club would encourage any young player in the area looking for a game of football to turn up to training during the week.

Doubtless they will enjoy the North Beach experience and the opportunity to play in a positive environment, at a club which is the benchmark of the WAAFL, having won seven of the last 10 A-grade premierships, the last four in succession.