The faces may have changed, but the goal remains the same.
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A changing of the guard has the Gilgandra Panthers of 2024 looking little like the side whose era of success was highlighted by three successive premierships.
The Panthers played in every Castlereagh League grand final from 2015-2022, with a hat-trick of premiership wins from 2016 a mark of their dominance in the competition.
Hazelton brothers Ash and Kieran, Luke Ritchie and Josh Nixon headlined the all-conquering team but almost all of that group has now hung up the boots.
Blake Frost, 24, is the new captain and the Gilgandra junior is all too aware of the standard expected from the Panthers.
"Everyone knows Gil as being a successful club," Frost said.
"We don't want to be the generation that's not successful. You don't play footy to lose and we want to carry that success on and be successful."
![The Gilgandra defence working to stop the Coonabarabran Unicorns in round six of the 2024 season. Picture by Stephen Basham The Gilgandra defence working to stop the Coonabarabran Unicorns in round six of the 2024 season. Picture by Stephen Basham](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/dCXpDgwTEgA52iNCe5aWtJ/bc51ff85-89a4-47b7-af78-32d2eafcdde4.JPG/r1011_406_3888_2134_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Ritchie is one of the lone older heads still playing this year, but the halfback is currently sidelined due to a broken wrist and is no guarantee to return any time soon.
The injury was the kind of blow which could derail a season, but the Panthers have found an unexpected answer.
Wade Peachey was a back-rower at both Wellington and Macquarie in the Group 11 competition and started out the same at Gilgandra, but put his hand up to take on the number seven jersey.
"He's been steering the ship well," Frost said.
"It's not a position he's played much since he was in the under 14s, I think he said, but he's just been getting better and better with the more confidence he has in the role.
"He's been leading us around and he's probably the reason we've been in games and in positions to win.
"We haven't really lost anything with him stepping in there and obviously his running game is the best part of his game."
Lock Kenny Johnson is another who's been getting through a mountain of work each week while Frost is a former Western Rams junior who has led the way from the second-row.
Johnson scored a double last round in a much-needed win over Coonamble.
The victory kept the Panthers in sixth spot and while on paper it may appear a title challenge is unlikely, the title dream is far from gone.
![Ash Hazelton was a star for the Gilgandra Panthers but is one of the many title-winners who has now retired. Picture by Peter Sherwood Photography Ash Hazelton was a star for the Gilgandra Panthers but is one of the many title-winners who has now retired. Picture by Peter Sherwood Photography](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/dCXpDgwTEgA52iNCe5aWtJ/4419f8f0-7555-4925-b647-2901b9d2be0c.jpeg/r57_165_1260_833_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Injuries and illness has meant the Panthers have struggled to put the same team on the park week-to-week while a couple of disappointing second-half showings has led to match-winning positions being thrown away.
But Frost knows what his side is capable of, with a dominant first-half showing last weekend an indication of the Panthers' potential.
"Coolah and Cobar are obviously the two benchmark teams and over the next two weeks we play them, so it will be a good gauge to see where we're at," Frost said.
"I definitely think if we can play for 80 minutes, we can definitely challenge them. We can challenge all of them.
"Coonabarabran are coming third and we had them beat but we beat ourselves. We were up by 14 with 10 (minutes) to go and we lost it.
"If we can limit the mistakes and play for the full 80, I think we can challenge any of them. It's just a matter of doing it."
The second half performance against Coonamble last weekend - after Gilgandra led 28-0 at one stage - still wasn't perfect, but it was a step in the right direction and the 32-18 victory keeps the Panthers in touch with the top five.
"I think if we if we lost that one you probably would have put a line through us for the year," Frost said.
"It's definitely good to stay in contention ... hopefully coming into the second half of the season we can go on a bit of a run and get some momentum and make the semis. And then, who knows?"
Elsewhere last weekend, Coonabarabran and Gulgong battled out an entertaining 32-all draw while leaders Coolah maintained their unbeaten record by downing Narromine 24-12.