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FOR the first time in four years a Maryborough under-18 team is likely to take the field in the Bendigo Football-Netball League.
While the BFNL senior season has been cancelled due to the impact of COVID-19, the league will run a condensed under-18 football and 17-under netball competition, with July 25 earmarked as a start date.
The structure and logistics of the competition is still being worked through, but what is a major positive for Maryborough is the Magpies have flagged their intentions to be part of the under-18 football.
Due to a lack of numbers the Magpies haven't fielded an under-18 team since 2016.
However, they have received an influx of interest from players in the surrounding Maryborough-Castlemaine District league as part of the COVID-19 permit for players from cancelled leagues.
Since the BFNL confirmed its decision to run a competition for its junior football and netball grades, the Magpies have had 13 players from MCDFNL clubs put in clearances to join them.
The Magpies have appointed former senior coach Steve Thomson as their under-18 coach and had about 20 players at a training session last Wednesday night.
"The goal is to get a team up... we want to be part of the under-18 competition and putting our best forward," Maryborough president Brendan Roughead said.
"We're more than hopeful; I reckon we'll be out there.
We're more than hopeful; I reckon we'll be out there
- Brendan Roughead
"We're hopeful the league will be able to give us some overage exemptions because to be competitive we feel we'll need that.
"It will be massive for the club to get an under-18s side back out there. We haven't had one for four years, but this year has created an opportunity where we've got players looking to play with us, including players from outside the district who have made enquiries.
"Getting new people in the door to experience what the club has to offer is obviously really beneficial."
"We think Thommo is a really good fit for the under-18s as coach. He has an enormous amount to offer, including 10 years over in the WAFL, and he developed the likes of Ash Noonan, Matt Johnston and Stewie Crameri when he previously coached the senior team (2005-2007)."
As well as the expectation they will have an under-18 team for the BFNL competition, the Magpies will also field teams in the under-10s, 12s, 14s and 16s in the Bendigo Junior Football League.
Meanwhile, the calling off of the senior season means Justin Abrams will need to wait until 2021 to take charge of the Magpies for the first time.
"We were fairly excited with what we'd picked up, but it is what it is and we'll give everyone a bit of a rest this year to freshen up and hopefully, everyone comes back raring to go for the pre-season," Abrams said.
"We think we've brought some good players into the club... Bailey Edwards is an absolute beauty coming back from Lake Wendouree where he has played inter-league (for Ballarat) and won best and fairests.
"Tommy Gardham is a utility who is really exciting and, like Bailey, is a burst player. He's got some real pace, so we were really happy to get him. And Kurt Santon is a six-foot-one wing/half-back type who uses the ball really well who has come in from Talbot and is looking to take the next step in his footy."
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