COACH: Ben Lavars (new)
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LAST YEAR: 10th – 1-17
THERE has been plenty of player movement at Maryborough during the off-season – both coming in and departing the club.
Both the list of ins and outs at the Magpies totals 11 players as the club comes off the back of one win last year, which was an improvement on 2015 and 2016 when Maryborough was winless both seasons.
Joining the Magpies is a new playing coach in the highly-credentialed Ben Lavars, who has previously played with VFL club Werribee and captained Geelong Amateurs to two flags in the Bellarine league and won a Geelong league Matheson Medal with St Mary’s in 2010.
In a positive for the club, former captain and 2013 best and fairest winner Luke Bucknall is returning after three seasons with Lake Wendouree, while young gun Coby Perry – also a Maryborough best and fairest – is back with the club following the demise of VFL club North Ballarat.
Bodie Malone and Jayden Hooper are other former players back at Princes Park this year, while the Magpies have added some extra leadership with former Natte Bealiba captain and premiership player Jacob Long also among the inclusions.
From the coach: Q&A with Ben Lavars
Q: Given you are taking over a club that has won one game in the past three years, what are you setting as the starting point you want to achieve with the team this season?
It's about getting a good feeling around the club again and that's the main thing we have been working on during the pre-season.
It's about getting people back to the club and wanting to stay there and play with their mates.
And we've tried to get a lot players to come back and help build depth in the reserves.
We really want this year to be a foundation that we can build on going forward.
Quick wrap on the Magpies
ARRIVALS
Luke Bucknall, Zac Egan, Ethan Grech, Ben Lavars, Jacob Long, Bodie Malone, Jack Hayward, Will Sultana, Miles Meranda, Jayden Hooper, Kyle Underwood.
DEPARTURES
Glen Coleman, Ethan Crackel, Tanner Hamilton, Matt Johnston, Sam McDowell, Harry Murphy, Jacob Rollason, William Short, Andrew Siekai, Angus Watts, Hamish Watts.
THE BASICS
Sportsbet flag odds: $81
Player points: 46
Last flag: 1999
FIRST MONTH
R1: v Castlemaine (h)
R2: v Golden Square (a)
R3: v South Bendigo (h)
R4: v Kangaroo Flat (a)
PAST TWO YEARS
2017: 10th - 1-17
2016: 10th - 0-18
