After winning just three games in 2023 and being bestowed the wooden spoon as the bottom-placed team in the competition, Benalla tasted victory four times last year and split the points with Shepparton United in the season’s only draw to finish 10th, two spots higher than the year previous.
There’s still plenty of improvement to come out of Benalla, too, but the growth shown last season has the former Carlton and North Melbourne spearhead filled with optimism.
“I said from the very start that the first half of our season was going to be a lot different to our second half,” Waite said.
“And (as a) positive we were well and truly in games for that second half of the season, where especially the last, probably, six rounds we were right in the contest up until about three-quarter time and even into the last quarter.
“I know you can't use any excuse, but early on we lost a lot of players through injury, but you just keep encouraging them, (remind them of) where we came from to where we got to.
“Wins and losses obviously weren't in our favour, but I was really pleased with that sort of last quarter of the season, and as I said, some really, really good signs, some young kids coming through that benefited from playing a lot of senior football.
“You don't really reflect on (last year), but you do understand that we finished third last and it's not where we want to be, and as a group we want to get better and consistently get better, so that's pretty much all I'm focusing on.”
Plenty of recruiting has been done in the off season, too, with the likes of Max Cullen, Cooper Gracie and Ryley Ely joining from the Wangaratta Rovers under-18 premiership side, while Gold Coast Suns Academy graduate Nathan Wright to pull on the Saints jumper after spending time with QAFL side Labrador.
Past players Nick Warnock and David Mennen are also returning for 2025, and should be handy additions to a Benalla side that has been looking to bring more intensity throughout the pre-season.
“We've got a few recruits which has been good, bolstered our list a lot,” Waite said.
“(We've got) a couple of blokes back from out of town from up the freeway as well, which has been really pleasing for the club to get that talent back in the door.
“So, we've been good, just concentrating on a lot of skill stuff, a lot of conditioning, I think last year our conditioning towards the second half of the season probably got shown up a little bit, which I was fully aware of with the running program that we had.
“(We've) put a bit more intensity in the training and the running sessions this preseason, so yeah, it's coming along nicely."
While list depth has been added in the off season to compliment top-shelf talent such as reigning club best-and-fairest Mark Marriott and skipper Chris Welsh, and playing finals football is always the goal for any team, Waite has a much simpler objective heading into 2025.
"It's very cliche to say, but I just want to see that constant improvement,” he said.
“We're striving for finals as everyone is, but like I said, I just want to see the growth in players individually, then also as a team.
“We just really want to see everyone get better, because every year every team gets better, and we're in no different position. I'm just looking forward to seeing what our group can do this year.”
The Saints get their 2025 campaign underway with a trip to Princess Park to take on Shepparton Swans in round one, before hosting 2024 grand finalist Shepparton Bears at Benalla Showgrounds for their first home game of the season in round two.
