Bathurst Bulldogs' Phil Newton returned as president, excited to see what 2023 brings for club

Newton heads a committee with several new faces on board for the upcoming season, with a group he believes has a great mix of 'new and old' heads.

Newton, who was once again elected unopposed to the president's role, said he's more than happy to continue on with the top job.

"It's hard work but it's enjoyable. It's a job that I was always interested to do and I've been proud to do it," he said.

"We've had a great year in 2022 and the early signs for 2023, after talking to Dean Oxley, are even bigger and better. It's a great time to be involved."

Premiership-winning first grade head coach Oxley and fellow coach Chris Plunkett helped to steer the Bulldogs to a memorable 15-13 grand final victory over rivals Orange Emus this season.

The club currently has asked for enquires about coaching opportunities across all grades but Newton said the Oxley-Plunkett combination are already locked in for the next campaign.

"It would be hard-nosed from me to say 'You're not getting the job this year' after what they did, so the full team of Dean, Chris and the managers involved in first grade are back for 2023, which is great," he said.

"They've done an exceptional job. Dean and Chris worked really well together in 2022 and they learned from each other. Dean would be the first to admit he's pedantic and highly strung with the way he does things, while Chris is a bit more relaxed, so together they balance each other out."

Newton is excited to see what the new committee can achieve in the future.

"There was a fair bit of experience in the committee we had this year. There are a couple of said that they can't continue to do it, whether it be through personal commitments or work," he said.

"The new committee is a mixture of new and old. There's a couple of younger faces there, which is what we're really pushing for. We're looking for a succession plan, to give them an idea of what the club's about.

"It's not about just turning up on Saturday and playing. There's a lot of work behind the scenes to make that happen.

"Mel Waterford has stepped up to vice-president for the club's infrastructure and operations.

"Scotty Johnston did that this season and did a great job, but he's busy with a business and a young family. Mel is happy to step up and have a go at it. This year was her first time on the committee and she did a great job.

"Everyone who's come in will add something new. We've lost some really good committee members and workers but everything people do is appreciated."

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