Will the Magpies' winning drought be broken in 2024?

While the Pies would love nothing more than to sing the club song multiple times this season, the first goal for co-coaches Matt Johnston and Coby Perry centres around competitiveness and development.

The Pies were on the wrong end of several hefty hidings in 2023, but they're confident they've made the right moves in the off-season that will help them close the gap in 2024.

Who are the recruits that we can expect to bolster the senior team this year?

"(Former VFL player) Ash Humphrey is back at the club after playing for a few years on and off, while (ex-Carlton draftee) Fraser Russell played with us in 2021 and he's back again and looking really good on the track.

"The two of them have done a power of work on the track in Melbourne training with some clubs and they look good.

"Fraser will spend the majority of his time forward because that's an area of the ground where we've lacked a clear avenue to goal.

"At times we'll use him in the midfield to add some experience to our midfield group.

"Kirk Looby played with us around 2016 and 2017 and he's back from overseas and he's a classy small forward. He's another one that adds something to our forward line that we've lacked.

"Robert Castiglia is new to town from Melbourne and he's only 19, but he's been super impressive during the pre-season. He hasn't missed a session, he's very fit and he'll give us some X-factor in the forward line. His kicking is elite.

"Seb Collins can play key position or ruck and he's back after missing last year with an ACL."

Who were the key departures from the club in the off-season?

"Lucas Hurse has moved to Canberra for university studies, but he'll come back and play a few games for us through the year when he can.

"Jake Lohmann has gone to Brisbane's VFL team, Brady Neil has gone out to Carisbrook, Chris Newman has moved to Stawell and Jake Postle has gone to Natte Bealiba."

Maryborough has five players across the Bendigo Pioneers' under-18 and under-16 programs - Taj Bond, Kaian Constable, Logan Howell, Campbell Wood and Zac Cicchini - and Maryborough's under-18s are coming off a finals appearance in 2023. How important is that flow of junior talent to the senior club?

"It's exciting for the club. It's a representation of the community and the level that our junior program has grown in that we're producing some high-level talent.

"Getting them to flow through to senior ranks is the key to us moving forward in the next few years.

"We've done a really good job of retaining our under-18 players that played in the finals last year and won a final.

"Tom Myers, Aidan Medlyn, Lachy Bursill, Cobie Read - there's some really good kids there and they're the future of our senior side."

Key position stocks have been an issue for the club in recent years. Are you confident you can be competitive this year in that department?

"I think we're well-placed to be competitive. Ty Stewart will be our number one ruck and Tom Myers will play a full year of senior footy and Seb Collins is back.

"The three of them will rotate between the ruck, key forward and key back.

"The beauty of Tom and Seb is their versatility and they cover the ground so well.

"It's exciting to have the three of them working together."

Your co-coach Coby Perry has had more bad luck with injuries than most players have in their whole career. How's he going in the lead up to round one?

"Coby has relished the role of being able to train a bit more.

"We've structured it so that I take over more of the training in terms of instruction and he's been able to train and lead on the field.

"He's pretty fit at the moment which is a nice position for him, first of all, and then for us as a club because he's such a key part of what we do.

"He'll play a nice role through the midfield for us. His attack on the footy and relentlessness is second to none, which is a really important lesson for our young players to learn."

There were periods last year where Maryborough would string together 15-20 minutes of competitive footy, but then be let down by five minutes of poor footy. Is one of your main goals this year to build on your consistency and turn 15-20 minutes of good footy into a full quarter of competitive footy?

"When we analysed last year some of it came down to fitness and some of it came down to our lack of depth in our playing list.

"We relied on too few last year and I think we've corrected both of those areas this year.

"(Reigning best and fairest winner) Joel Swatton has been our strength and conditioning coach and he's put the boys through a tough pre-season.

"From the list point of view, getting those recruits and adding in the under-18 boys has built our depth. We have 25-30 senior footballers now compared to being under 20 the last few years.

"We're hoping that extra fitness and depth will help us late in those quarters or in those winnable matches that we let slip last year."

It sounds as though for the first time in a few years there's going to be competition for spots in the senior side?

"We've got some headaches with selection this week.

"Our playing list is fit and we have no injuries. There will be some guys miss out this week.

"Everyone is ready for Friday's match which is a good spot for the club to be in."

Round 1 - March 29

v Castlemaine (a)

Round 2 - April 20

v Kangaroo Flat (h)

Round 3 - April 27

v Gisborne (a)

Round 4 - May 4

v Sandhurst (h)

Round 5 - May 11

bye

Round 6 - May 18

v South Bendigo (a)

Round 7 - June 1

v Golden Square (h)

Round 8 - June 8

v Eaglehawk (a)

Round 9 - June 15

v Strathfieldsaye (h)

Round 10 - June 22

v Castlemaine (h)

Round 11 - June 29

v Kangaroo Flat (a)

Round 12 - July 13

v Gisborne (h)

Round 13 - July 20

v Sandhurst (a)

Round 14 - July 27

bye

Round 15 - August 3

v South Bendigo (h)

Round 16 - August 10

v Golden Square (a)

Round 17 - August 17

v Eaglehawk (h)

Round 18 - August 24

v Strathfieldsaye (a)