The Pioneers’ hopes of qualifying for the TAC Cup finals ended a fortnight ago and the club made a conscious decision to allow players who want to play for their home clubs in the finals to return to club footy for the final home and away rounds.

Isaac Miller (Golden Square), Jack Exell (Sandhurst), Jamieson Sheahan and Lachlan Wallace (Strathfieldsaye) and Jonty Neaves (Eaglehawk) have returned to the BFNL seniors in recent weeks.

It’s a similar story in other regional leagues in the Pioneers’ zone, including potential top 10 draftee in 2017 Jarrod Brander.

The Pioneers gave Brander, who is a boarder at Geelong Grammar, the rare opportunity to play the past two senior games with his home club Wentworth.  He grabbed the opportunity with both hands, kicking six goals in two weeks.

“We probably had up to 15 kids playing senior footy last weekend,’’ Pioneers talent manager Steve Sharp said.

“We can’t play finals and we support the kids who want go home to help their clubs play finals.

“We’re trying to make sure we get good engagement with the families who want their kids to play some local clubs.

“At the end of the day we want the country clubs to support us, so we have to do what we can to support them.

“If they see their players coming back to them from the Pioneers as better players then they’re going to support us and encourage their kids to try their luck at TAC Cup level.

“It’s a partnership. It’s not just about the Pioneers.”

The philosophy has led to the Pioneers suffering a couple of heavy defeats in recent weeks, but that matters little to Sharp and the club’s staff.

“I’m sure if we were in the top eight or a chance to play finals then the players would have preferred to play TAC Cup footy,’’ Sharp said.

“With those players playing senior footy, we’ve been able to try some 16 and 17-year-olds who hadn’t had an opportunity to play in the TAC Cup. Last year we had 12 17-year-old’s on our list. This year we’ve played 31 17-year-old’s. We’ll be in a better position because of that next year.

“The kids want to win and we’d all prefer to win rather than lose, but the bottom line is the TAC Cup is about development.

“It’s about the kids getting the chance to reach their potential.”

Pioneers players are set to play key role with their respective clubs in the upcoming BFNL finals series.

“Isaac Miller went back to Golden Square last week and was one of their best players against Kyneton,’’ Sharp said.

“Braidon Blake will go back to Sandhurst for the finals and he’s already played some good footy at that level.

“Jack Exell and Jam Sheahan are already back at their clubs. Lachy Wallace played last weekend for Strathfieldsaye and there’s a good chance Angus Schumacher will play for them in the finals.”