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A COMPLETE package on and off the field is how Castlemaine co-coach Derrick Filo describes his star new recruit Angus Monfries.
The Magpies unveiled Monfries as their marquee signing among a host of new recruits at Camp Reserve last Friday night.
The signing of Monfries gives the Magpies the most experienced former AFL player in the BFNL this year.
The 32-year-old joins the Magpies having played 211 AFL games - 150 at Essendon and 61 with Port Adelaide.
"He's a complete package as far as a signing goes… the on-field speaks for itself and he's also a quality person," Filo said.
"He knows where we're at; he could have gone to a lot of clubs, but has brought into what we're trying to do here.
"He's a really impressive person and it's really exciting for the club to have him on board this year."
The Magpies are desperate to start making some competitive inroads into the BFNL.
The Magpies are on the longest finals drought in the competition, having not finished top five since 2005, and last year had just one win and an average losing margin of 128 points.
However, the on-field battles of the Magpies haven't deterred plenty of new faces calling Camp Reserve home this year.
As well as Monfries, Castlemaine has also added new assistant coach Mitch Hough, Matt Filo, Jordan Matera, Dan Eason, Mitch Dance, Brent Symons and Sam Simpson as 2019 recruits.
"We've had a recruiting committee that has worked really hard, but we also have some really good kids already here who have done the hard yards over the past couple of years," Filo said.
"But for those young guys like Riley Pedretti and Jack Chester, we've got to get some talent and experience in and around them.
"Angus is really keen to help out with the kids and their development, but he's like all of us - he wants to play finals now.
"The recruiting committee has been unbelievable with the amount of players they have gone and seen.
"I'll be honest, when they first spoke to Angus I didn't think we'd be a chance because he'll have a lot of clubs after him.
"But he's looking for a challenge and I'm sort of pinching myself that we've been able to land him."
Monfries kicked 248 goals in his AFL career and will provide the Magpies with some much-needed sizzle in the forward half given Castlemaine averaged just 38 points per game last year - the lowest of any team in the BFNL since 1978.
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