During the pre-season ahead of the 2013/14 campaign, a fast bowler arrived at Manly for a trial. Initially, he was placed in the "train-on" net, where players new to the club or those trialling from local cricket were given the opportunity to showcase their abilities while coaches and selectors assessed their suitability for grade cricket. However, it took only a handful of deliveries for it to become clear that Dan Babula was well above that standard and belonged in the First Grade net.