PROFILE
After narrowly missing the finals and with an influx of recruits, Macorna will be hoping 2023 is the year their finals drought comes to an end.
After 11 years without September action, the Tigers have had an active off-season, bringing eight new senior players through the doors for season 2023. With a clear focus on bolstering their defensive half of the ground, Macorna have recruited running half-back Alex Kirby (Wandella) and EDFL Division 1 premiership-winning key defender Nick Ingleton (Strathmore).
Also arriving at Tigerland this season will be Tooleybuc-Manangatang pair Michael Roberts and Billy Bentley, along with Jack Featherby, Hamish Rookes and the returns of Jordan Simpson and Anthony Free. After identifying depth as a major factor in last season’s fade-out, 2022 joint coach Scott Wishart – who will be flying solo following the departure of Jaydon Stiles – was confident that issue had been rectified ahead of the new season.
“We’ve really filled out our depth, but at the same time we’ve managed to maintain our top five from last year’s Best & Fairest,” Wishart said.
“We got to a stage where we had a lot of the older boys having to fill in and guys who perhaps wouldn’t have played seniors getting a game last year, which really hurt us.”
“This year, we’ve got a list of about thirty guys who’ll all hold their own in the seniors.”
The departures of former coach Jaydon Stiles and his brother Josh, along with Kansas Varker and Dylan Goulding, will hurt – with Wishart expected to push Lachlan Ritchie forward to help cover the loss of Stiles. With Macorna still having star on-ballers Malcolm Neiwand and Shaun Haffenden at their disposal, Wishart wasn’t expecting any wholesale changes to the Tigers’ game style – preferring to refine last year’s game plan instead.
“We play a pretty up-pace game – we play pretty carefully coming out of the back half and like to get the ball into the hands of our good ball users, but once we get it past half back, it’s flat out,” Wishart said.
“We want to be getting it in quick to our one-on-ones in our forward line, which we started to do last season and we’ll refine this year.”
FROM THE COACH
“We hope to be pushing the top sides and be really fighting it out for a spot in the final four. Our aim is to finish top two and make the finals a little bit easier.”
KEY PLAYER
Lachlan Ritchie
Can play at either end of the ground, but with the arrivals of Ingleton and Free is expected to play more forward. Won the Tigers Best & Fairest last season and will be a key piece of the puzzle up forward with his contested marking and endurance making him a tough match-up for any opponent.
INs & OUTs
INs
Alex Kirby (Wandella)
Jack Featherby (Tyntynder)
Nick Ingleton (Strathmore)
Jordan Simpson (Pyramid Hill)
Anthony Free (Cohuna)
Michael Roberts (Tooleybuc-Manangatang)
Billy Bentley (Tooleybuc-Manangatang)
Hamish Rookes (Maiden Gully-YCW)
OUTs
Jaydon Stiles (Merrigum)
Jordan Hutton (Merrigum)
Kansas Varker (Merrigum)
Joshua Stiles (Merrigum)
Hayden Tyler (Merrigum)
Dylan Goulding (Pyramid Hill)
