The questions facing your team ahead of the Peel Football and Netball League season

The Pinjarra Tigers have owned the last two campaigns, winning back-to-back flags in dominant fashion.

But is their reign about to come to an end? Will a new team put their hands up as the top dogs? And who will that team be?

With so many to be asked, now's a prudent time to look at each club's big questions heading into season 2019.

Is this team ready to take the next step?

Outside of Pinjarra, you could argue the Brumbies have been the league's best side across the past two seasons. But, after winning the flag in 2016, they've been unable to reappear in a grand final despite boasting one of the more talented teams on paper. They opened last season with nine straight wins, which we thought had them set for a deep finals run, but a straight sets exit put paid to those hopes. Granted, there was little shame in losing to Centrals and Rockingham, but with all the dominance they had over the regular season Baldivis would have been hoping for more. Their midfield is still stacked, their backline is still secure and their forward half should be one of the competition's best, so is 2019 the year the Brumbies make it back to the big dance? We'll have to wait and see.

Was last year just an anomaly?

Despite a poor showing in the grand final, the Blues were outstanding last season. Led by the likes of Toby Gianatti, Lee Murray, Callum Collard and more, Centrals rose up the ranks to claim an early grand final berth and went into the game as favourites. Obviously, it didn't turn out the way they wanted it to, but what it did do is raise the expectations on them this season. They've now played two straight finals campaigns, improving each season, so they're going to need another exceptional year to show the trajectory is still trending upward. Toby McGrath's men will be eager to prove last season wasn't a one-off.

Can Ron Coles continue the work of Adam Boone?

They may not have made the finals, but Halls Head exceeded expectations under player/coach Adam Boone in 2018. They were competitive, and even in the hunt for a finals berth all the way up to the pointy end of the campaign. Now, with Boone departing from the club, Ron Coles steps into the role to fill the void. Fortunately the new head coach still has a strong senior core of players at the Lightning, including the likes of Robert Falkstrom and Tyson Phillips. Coles is also fortunate to head into the year with few expectations. With Halls Head likely to run with their youth, there's no immediate demand on a finals berth. But, since last year went quite well for the club, there will be some slight pressure on Coles to continue delivering a competitive brand of footy.

How far can a new look take you?

So, the Mustangs have revamped a little bit. They've recruited a handful of young talent in the likes of Brandon Penny, Alex Cohen and Reece Dillon and essentially, they've built a little more depth than they had last season. Gun midfielder Lachie Bray stays on, Mitchell White remains and so do bookends Jay Walton and Stuart Puls. On paper, it looks like a team ready to drag themselves off the canvas, despite losing captain Zac Podmore. But how far can "on paper" take you? Personally, I expect the Mustangs to rise, but you can't exactly pen them in for finals without watching them play some games first. Going to be one of the more interesting teams to watch this season.

Do these Tigers have a three-peat in them?

It's the obvious question, but hey, when you win two you want to make it three, right? However, the side that won this club the previous two flags is going to be markedly different from what they roll out this season. Of their 22 premiership heroes from 2018, at least nine have parted ways with the club including the likes of Leroy Jetta, Dean Beswick, Brendon Coxon, Rohan Kerr, Rory O'Brien and Jacob Williams. It's a collection that makes you think the Tigers are due to slide this season, but remaining at the club are the likes of Brock O'Brien, Rob Beswick, Kieran May and many more flag winners. They've also added midfielders Dean Miller and Jamie McNamara. You get the feeling that this year will be the toughest Pinjarra has faced since their reign over the PFNL started, but that doesn't mean a third straight premiership is out of the question.

Will this be the competition's best midfield in 2019?

Look, there's plenty of competition for this crown, but I'll take Rockingham's midfield over any other at this point. Securing ex-Carlton rookie Brad Walsh is a masterstroke for the Rams, and 2018 Ross Elliott Medal winner Mitchel Curnow could still see his share of games with the club despite signing with West Coast's new WAFL outfit. Then you add in youngster Zayne Selkirk, 2016 Ross Elliott Medal winner Rocky Collins and rotating forward/mid Fraser Millar and you've got yourself the ingredients for dominance in the PFNL. The Rams made a sharp rise to the preliminary final last season, and will be looking to go even further in 2019.

Can your midfield cover the loss of Andrew Haydon?

This is a tricky question, given you're essentially going to need three or four players to step up to cover the loss of one prolific midfielder. Haydon's move to South Fremantle obviously hurts the Falcons, it's never going to be easy when you lose one of, if not the best player in the competition. But that's not to say Southies aren't without options. The addition of Michael Humble goes a long way to filling that void, while coach Paul Pannell has signaled young guns like Riley Steinbock and Troy Lee as potential fixes. Luckily for the Falcons, players like Brad Holmes, Tom Wood and Chris Swarts remain as forces around the rest of the ground, but watching how their midfield handles the loss of Haydon is going to be intriguing.

How do the Demons improve from here?

What goes up always eventually comes down, and no club felt that old adage more than Waroona last season. They went 12 straight years with no worse than a preliminary final berth, but somewhat understandably bottomed out last year and took the wooden spoon. Look, no club is going to be strong forever, and no doubt the Waroona Demons will be remembered more for their reign of sheer dominance than their 2018 season, but how exactly do they get back to some competitiveness? It's hard to see where that improvement comes from, particularly when you consider the loss of star midfielder Rhett Mason. They welcome back Eli Smith as one of a host of players returning from the South West Football League this year, which will give the side a sure boost, but exactly how they return to competitiveness is a question that will only be answered when the season kicks off this Saturday.

Got an opinion on the 2019 season? Join the conversation in the comments section on our @MandurahMailSport Facebook page or drop me a line @justinrake1 on Twitter.