LW: Doley, the applications for the BFL's inter-league coaching position close on Friday.
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I noticed you were a bit late coming into work today.
Is that because you were at home putting the finishing touches to your resume this morning ready to hand into Justin Abrams?
ND: Geez, it was only a couple of minutes, Westy. Reason was I was caught up in doing the weeding at home.
Have watched and written on a lot of footy matches over the years, but coaching experience is nil.
Therefore, I won't be in the race to coach Bendigo.
LW: It will be interesting over the next couple of weeks to see who they go with to take over from Joffa Brennan.
Following last year's loss to Ballarat - remember, bad kicking is bad footy - this is a big year for inter-league footy for Bendigo after we've dropped back to the 7 v 8 bracket.
But another loss this year and it's back down to the 9 v 10 game next season and from there, we really start to drop off the pace.
It's a bit like Groundhog Day for Bendigo this year with another game against Gippsland at the QEO in May.
This will be the third time in the past five years we've played Gippsland, which shows that for Bendigo, it has been one step forward, one step back with our inter-league results recently.
I don't know if he has any interest in the job or not, but I reckon Luke Saunders would be a fantastic inter-league coach for Bendigo this year.
There has been no more respected player in the BFL over the past decade than Saunders.
He has coaching experience behind him, loved inter-league football as a player and has that presence about him where all 22 players would bleed blue and gold for the jumper.
ND: Brilliant call Westy re Luke Saunders to coach Bendigo.
There were not too many better in big games than the Gisborne star.
Whoever takes on the role faces a huge challenge.
As long as they don't say "at the end of the day" or "we're ticking all the boxes" then all will be OK with me.
At the end of the day, the sun goes down, the moon comes up. That's all.
LW: It looks like we may get some resolution next week on the situation regarding Maryborough and whether the Magpies will have the numbers to fill a full quota of teams this year.
The word out of Maryborough is they continue to be positive that they will have the numbers to remain a part of the competition in 2014.
The sooner this is resolved, the better. After all, it's now less than two months before the season starts on April 5.
The league and its clubs need clarity on how the season will look in regards to 16 or 18 home and away rounds and how that may impact on things such as clubs' budgeting and planning around two byes if it comes to that.
And with the season just around the corner - it starts in seven weeks - the players who have committed to Maryborough deserve clarity on whether the Magpies will be part of the BFNL this year.
As for the lack of a definitive answer yet, that perhaps could also be holding back a few potential recruits who may be reluctant to sign until the future is made clear.
ND: There's no doubt Maryborough is a key player in the BFNL.
It's crucial the club maintains a presence, even if it's similar to what Kyneton did in 2013 for this year.