Sport
29 April, 2024
Injury and player unavailability force Maryborough’s hand for help after 258-point loss
Injuries and a lack of numbers leading to the first reserves forfeit in just under two years have left the Maryborough Football Netball Club seeking players ahead of their round four clash against Sandhurst and beyond. A very tough weekend for the...
Injuries and a lack of numbers leading to the first reserves forfeit in just under two years have left the Maryborough Football Netball Club seeking players ahead of their round four clash against Sandhurst and beyond.
A very tough weekend for the Magpies saw them firstly forfeit their reserves clash against Gisborne on Friday due to a player shortage — their first forfeit since round 16, 2022, before the Magpies were unable to compete against the might of the Bulldogs on Saturday at Gisborne Reserve, losing by 258 points in the seniors, and 163 points in the under 18s game.
The 258-point losing margin was the biggest loss seen in the Bendigo Football Netball League (BFNL) senior division since 1996, when Castlemaine defeated Northern United by 260 points.
Further exacerbating the Magpies’ plight, the senior team dealt with three injuries during the game prior to half time, meaning that their already difficult task was made even harder, as the Bulldogs kicked 26 goals in the middle two quarters.
There are as many as 15 injuries around the club, cruelling the club of any depth following an off-season which saw a number of key players depart.
An extraordinary meeting was called discussing the plans for the club going forward from this Saturday’s game against Sandhurst at Barker Oval Princes Park, with a friendlier schedule hoping to alleviate the player shortage problem on the football field in the short term, with mutliple players due back in a three-week timeframe from injury.
The game against Sandhurst will be followed by a bye, while the club will also have another week off following their game against South Bendigo in round six, where it is hoped that the club will be able to regain multiple senior players from injury stints.
The club were in discussions with the BFNL on Monday morning which went throughout the after-noon discussing their current plight.
A public social media campaign has also been made, with the club posting on their Facebook and Instagram pages looking for players for the remainder of the season, while also welcoming additional volunteer participation.
The club’s loss on Saturday followed two weeks of reasonably encouraging performances on the field, despite eventually losing their first two games by 69 and 55 points to Castlemaine and Kangaroo Flat, respectively.
In both of those games, the Magpies were very competitive in the first halves of both games, leading well into the second quarter, before eventually fading away.
The Magpies are currently going through a tough patch with player unavailability, which has seen them drop their senior netball team from A grade to A reserve for a one-off season, with the hopes of returning in 2025, which has yielded benefits early on, with a win and a draw from three games against quality opposition.
From a football perspective, the club are currently going through a winless streak of 48 games, dating back to the start of 2021.
Contact details for each grade’s coach has been published on the social media drive, with senior co-coach Coby Perry contactable on 0455 337 568, fellow co-coach Matt Johnston contactable on 0409 265 129, reserves coach Callum Rowe contactable on 0447 443 227 and under 18 coach Kya Lanfranchi contactable on 0457 585 816.