PROFILE
With a new coach, different game plan and fresh faces, Maiden Gully-YCW enter season 2023 with renewed hope that a return to finals is just around the corner.
While the Eagles have lost a handful of key players from last year’s senior team, including Brayden Aitken, Natnael McLaren and key forward Jason Butty – they have more than made up for them, with several new arrivals set to shake up last season’s sixth placed finishers.
One of those arrivals is their coach Jay McDonald, who has brought midfielder Tyler Miles across with him from Huntly. Joining Miles in a revamped Maiden Gully-YCW on-ball unit will be Kangaroo Flat gun Bryce Franzini, Golden Square runner Daniel Baldwin and former Tongala midfielder Riley Bacon. Also joining the Eagles is former Old Eltham and Lake Boga ruckman Matthew Crooks, along with Murrabit pair Brody Green and Sam Harvey – with Green expected to provide plenty of run and carry out of defence and Harvey a strong focal point up forward.
While McDonald is excited by both the increased depth and talent that will be at his disposal, he’s also realistic that with so many new faces, the Eagles best may not come until the second half of the season.
“The challenge will be, with us getting a lot of new faces in, to gel together and to do so relatively quickly,” McDonald said.
“There’s a lot of water to go under the bridge, what with injuries and form and the like, but I think with the list we’ve been able to put together, we’ll be more than capable of playing finals – provided we play to the standard we expect.”
While McDonald is expecting big seasons from reigning Best & Fairest Nathan Murley and Josh Worsley, who by all accounts has had a massive pre-season – the new coach has also predicted a change in game plan could be another factor in an improved showing from Maiden Gully-YCW.
We’re aiming to be a strong defensive side that is elite when it comes to applying defensive pressure,” McDonald said.
“We’d like to think we’ll win a lot of our football via turnovers because of the way we’re controlling the play via our defence – and then going forward, we want to be controlled, composed and move it forward with more of a kick and mark game style.”
FROM THE COACH
“We’re certainly going to be a competitive side and while we finished sixth last year, if a couple of results had of gone our way, then we might have been able to sneak into fifth. On that basis, I think an achievable goal for us is to certainly play finals this year.”
KEY PLAYER
Nathan Murley
Reigning club Best & Fairest, Murley is an elite outside player who can burn opposition teams with his leg speed. Has been working during the pre-season on winning his own ball, to become an all-round midfielder.
IN’S & OUT’S
IN’S
Jay McDonald (Huntly)
Tyler Miles (Huntly)
Brayden Watson (Huntly)
Bryce Franzini (Kangaroo Flat)
Daniel Baldwin (Golden Square)
Brody Green (Murrabit)
Sam Harvey (Murrabit)
Matthew Crooks (Old Eltham)
Tom Durston (Woodend)
Riley Bacon (Tongala)
OUT’S
Brayden Aitken (Boort)
Natnael McLaren (Boort)
Jason Butty
Jessi Lampi
Joel Dwyer
