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MARYBOROUGH is likely to continue with a playing coach next year and is hopeful of appointing its successor to Ben Lavars before the end of the BFNL season.
The Magpies have been on the hunt since June for a replacement for Lavars, who is stepping down at the end of the season.
The Magpies have interviewed several prospective coaches and are closing in on a decision.
"We're still in the process... we've interviewed a few people and have some options, but we're still working through it and and making sure we get the right one," Maryborough president Brendan Roughead said on Wednesday.
"We've had a fair bit of success with a playing coach over the past couple of years and we think that on-field leadership is really important, so that's probably our preference.
"We want to make an appointment before the end of the season so that we can start locking in players and continue to add to our list."
Roughead was at the helm of the Magpies when they appointed Lavars as coach in October 2017.
Back then the Magpies were coming off just one win in the previous three years.
This time though the Magpies' coaching job comes with more appeal on the back of the work done by Lavars, who following one win last season has led Maryborough to five this year, with another two big opportunities still to come against Kyneton and Kangaroo Flat.
"It has certainly been much easier this time because there's a much more positive vibe around the club and the community," Roughead said.
"People are seeing that we're improving and on the right track... mind you we've still got a long way to go."
While it ended up a loss against Golden Square last weekend, the 55-point margin was another sign of the Magpies' improvement given in their previous nine meetings against the Bulldogs their average losing margin had been 153 points.
And the previous week they competed strongly against the finals-bound Sandhurst in a 21-point defeat.
As well as Maryborough, Kyneton is also on the coach hunt, with Luke Beattie standing down at the end of the season.
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