Sport
27 March, 2024
Maryborough to kickstart season against Castlemaine in Good Friday match tomorrow
All roads lead to Camp Reserve tomorrow afternoon as Maryborough kicks off its 2024 Bendigo Football Netball League (BFNL) campaign against Castlemaine. It’s been a big off-season for football co-coaches Matt Johnston and Coby Perry and netball...
All roads lead to Camp Reserve tomorrow afternoon as Maryborough kicks off its 2024 Bendigo Football Netball League (BFNL) campaign against Castlemaine.
It’s been a big off-season for football co-coaches Matt Johnston and Coby Perry and netball coach Maggie Tranter, with each looking to help continue accelerating the Magpies’ rebuild.
From a football standpoint, the Magpies are currently nursing a 46-game losing streak, but are inching closer to a victory, having led on four occasions during the last quarter in 2023, only to lose narrowly against Kangaroo Flat and Castlemaine twice.
But with the recruitment of the returning Fraser Russell and Ash Humphrey, new arrivals such as the promising Seb Collins and further development from young guns Tom Myers and Aidan Medlyn, hopes are high at Magpieland that the streak can finally be broken.
Tomorrow afternoon’s game against Castlemaine is the first time the two teams have met on Good Friday since 2022, and Maryborough are hoping for a continued relationship between the two teams on this date as a standalone game.
The battle of the Magpies will have some extra spice in it given Castlemaine’s strong recruitment throughout the off-season, luring ex-AFL player Michael Hartley as coach from Seymour, while also recruiting strongly, including Harcourt premiership co-coach Kal Huntly and co-captain Darby Semmens, as well as Golden Square’s Zavier Murley.
In 2023, the Magpies had two tight battles with Castlemaine, both going in favour of the latter.
In round one at Princes Park, spectators were drenched in heavy rain, but it was Maryborough that looked the goods at three-quarter-time, having held Castlemaine to just one goal in that time frame.
But three quick goals in the last quarter meant the drought-breaking win would be put on ice, with Castlemaine eventually winning by 11 points.
In the return meeting in round 10, Maryborough welcomed ex-GWS and Western Bulldogs player Sam Reid to the mix for a one-off game, and provided some excellent tutelage for the group, kicking a goal.
But, again, after leading during the last quarter, Castlemaine had a little bit extra in the legs, scoring five goals to nil in the last quarter to run away with a 19-point victory.
Meantime, in Maryborough’s netball department, it will be the first game for the Magpies without an A grade team after the group made the decision to scale back to A reserve following the loss of multiple players over the off-season, with a move back to A grade slated for 2025.
Maryborough will still have some key players in the mix throughout the season, with Tranter returning in a full-time capacity as a player-coach, while best and fairest winner Amanda Durbridge also stays on at the club. Prolific goalscorer Jordan MacIlwain will also remain with the team, as does the likes of young talents such as Ella Patten, who recently had a terrific tournament in the Victorian state titles, as well as Tali Chadwick and Millie Cassidy, who are looking to continue their development.
There are continued high hopes for the Magpies’ junior program, with the 17 and under team looking for another finals appearances after previously making the finals in 2022 and 2023.
The A reserve clash with Castlemaine will pit the Magpies against a team which snuck into the finals last year, giving them a good gauge for what to expect for the year ahead.
In two meetings with Castlemaine in A grade in 2023, Maryborough were outclassed on both occasions, with Castlemaine winning in round one by 10 goals, 47-37, in the wet, while in round 10, Maryborough were outclassed by 36 goals, 66-30.
Tomorrow’s games sees the football matches begin with the under 18s at 10.45 am, the reserves at 12.30 pm and seniors at 2.20 pm, which will also be livestreamed on the BFNL website, while on the netball court, tomorrow’s games sees the 17 and under team begin at 10 am, followed by B reserve at 11.20 am, B grade at 12.40 pm and A reserve at 2 pm.
