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MOUNT Pleasant co-coach Darren Walsh has targeted the defensive side of the Blues' game as the key area of improvement needed to continue their rise back to prominence in the Heathcote District league.
Before last year's cancelled 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Blues reached the preliminary final in 2019 in what was the club's best season since 2007.
While it was a major step forward for the Blues, the 90-point hiding from eventual premier North Bendigo showed just how much work is still ahead if they are to break through for their first premiership since 2007.
And for Walsh, that strive to get to the next level starts defensively.
"We've got to defend better and that is going to be a really big focus. We know we can score quickly, but we can't lose by 90 points in a preliminary final... that's not good enough," Walsh said.
"We've got to get better defensively and we want to see average lower scores against us."
The Blues conceded an average of 89 points per game in 2019, but in games against sides that made the finals that figure was elevated to 102 points.
Mount Pleasant's defensive half will have a strong Golden Square flavour to it this year.
With full-back Dale Young playing on for another season, along with the additions of Travis Baird and Brayden Dorrington, the Blues will now have three players in their back half from Golden Square's dynasty of five-straight flags in the Bendigo league between 2009 and 2013.
The Blues have also bulked up their midfield with the addition of two guns in reigning BFNL Michelsen medallist Adam Baird, who is a co-coach, from Golden Square and Kangaroo Flat's Liam Collins.
Also a new recruit for the Blues since they last played in 2019 are Rhys Deacon, who is headed back to Mount Pleasant after kicking 35 goals as a mid/forward in the Essendon District league with Taylors Lakes in 2019.
And having intended to play elsewhere last year, Nick Edwards and Luke Marchesi are both back with the Blues again.
With Edwards and Marchesi both back, the only departures from the Blues since 2019 are Cody Green and Seb Spijkerman.
The Blues are a team stacked with former Bendigo league talent. Since Walsh took over as coach in 2018 the Blues now have 10 former BFNL players on their list - the Baird brothers, Dorrington, Young, Collins, Marchesi, Ben Weightman, Billy Mahony, Dan Davie and Bryce Hinneberg.
"We feel we're going to have a lot more depth through our midfield... Adam Baird, Liam Collins, Billy Mahony, Joey Whiting, Tom Pontell, Luke Marchesi is the fittest he has been, Ben Weightman can go through there," Walsh said.
"But overall, out list has got stronger, which is great because we know like all clubs, we're going to get injuries because of the amount of football that has been missed.
"It's going to be a really strong competition this year, which is exciting for the league, but our goal will be to get ourselves in the top three and then take it from there."
The Blues have the bye in round one.
MOUNT PLEASANT FIXTURE:
Round 1 - Bye
Round 2 - v Elmore (a)
Round 3 - v LBU (h)
Round 4 - v Huntly (a)
Round 5 - v Leitchville-Gunbower (h)
Round 6 - v White Hills (a)
Round 7 - v North Bendigo (h)
Round 8 - v Heathcote (a)
Round 9 - v Colbinabbin (h)
Round 10 - Bye
Round 11 - v Elmore (h)
Round 12 - v LBU (a)
Round 13 - v Huntly (h)
Round 14 - v Leitchville-Gunbower (a)
Round 15 - v White Hills (h)
Round 16 - v North Bendigo (a)
Round 17 - v Heathcote (h)
Round 18 - v Colbinabbin (a)
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