Brodie to join Magpies

EAGLEHAWK premiership player Brodie Filo is returning to the Bendigo Football League next year.But it won’t be at the Hawks, where he played in the 2007 premiership team, or at Kyneton, where his father, Derrick, is coaching.Rather, Filo has signed with Castlemaine and will join the Magpies after playing this year with WAFL club Peel Thunder.“We’re really excited to have Brodie on board,’’ Magpies coach Paul Eyles said yesterday.“He has been fantastic at training and wants to play for Castlemaine, which is his home town.“He could have gone anywhere, so we’re rapt he has chosen Castlemaine.’’Filo played 19 games for the Thunder this year, kicking 21 goals and averaging 18.2 disposals per game.The 20-year-old’s attributes include blistering pace, a booming kick of the ball and his smart goalsense.His talent was on display for the BFL in its 2009 inter-league win over Ballarat at Bacchus Marsh, where he was among Bendigo’s best in the upset 21-point victory.Filo’s performance caught the eye of VCFL coach Peter Knights, who selected the youngster for the VCFL’s state match against the Victorian Amateur Football Association.“He had a good season with Peel this year and got in the best quite often,’’ Eyles said.“He played in the state under-21 side and had some AFL clubs looking at him, so it’s fantastic for our club that he has decided to join us. "He’s such an exciting player, and it’s great to get a local boy back to the club, so it’s really positive.’’Also joining the Magpies next year will be ruckman Carlin Gyorffy, who is presently training with the North Ballarat Roosters.And midfielder Nick Bone, who has previously spent three years with North Ballarat, is also joining the Magpies.“Nick is a quality midfielder, who has come on board, so we’re also pleased to get him,’’ Eyles said.Bone has spent the past two years playing with Learmonth in the Central Highlands Football League.The signings of Bone, Filo and Gyorffy come on top of the Magpies having secured former VFL-listed players Wayne Schultz and Harmit Singh earlier in the pre-season.Midfielders Lachlan Brown, who needs 11 games to reach 200 for the Magpies, and Adam Culvenor are returning to the club next season.However, losses at this stage include forward Daniel Christmas, who was the Magpies’ leading goalkicker for three of the past four seasons, and key position player Adrian Conn to Newstead in the Maryborough-Castlemaine District Football League.The Magpies have had six training sessions so far this pre-season as they set about improving on this year when they failed to win a game and finished on the bottom of the ladder for the first time since 1985.