COMMENT: The first game has arrived and the boys are ready to go, writes Otago United striker Aaron Burgess.
A solid pre-season is under our belts and, although there has been a lack of meaningful games, training has been at a good level.
Unfortunately, as is always the case, the North Island teams have each played at least six to eight games among themselves, so Manawatu will definitely come out firing.
At least four sessions a week for the past eight weeks should have us as ready as we will ever be to defend our home patch - and Forsyth Barr Stadium is a great home ground.
There has been a good intensity at training and there is a real competition for places this season, which is always important.
Management even offered a night off training last week, suggesting we go tenpin bowling instead to freshen up the legs. However, the players voted (I wasn't one of them) to train as normal which shows the hunger they have.
Similar to last season, the squad has almost entirely picked itself from the local winter league, and a nice blend of youth and experience should hopefully mean we can push on with the overall goal of making it into the playoffs.
Some new faces to the team this season include Frenchman Victor Da Costa, Aussie Scott Gannon and American Jake Morrison.
These boys have all fitted in extremely well and give us that little bit of international flair and excitement.
Jake hails from California, so some of the bitterly cold training nights have been taking their toll, but he has quickly adapted by growing a beard.
Victor has added a bit of culture to the team on and off the field, and a wine appreciation evening was recently held in his honour.
However, it was quickly discovered that he doesn't even like wine and much prefers to drink the local brew. I think these boys will definitely be crowd favourites by season's end.
Hopefully, everyone can get out and support us this week.
No excuses with the weather - we are playing indoors, after all - and we need all the support we can muster to get off to the perfect start with three points in the bag.
• Aaron Burgess is a striker for Otago United and has been a prolific scorer for Dunedin Technical for more than a decade.
