With the club focusing on its development for the future, the Magpies struggled in winning just two games for the season.
But now, with another pre-season under their belts and some handy additions to their line-up, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Coach Luke Eldridge said the group was excited to get back to playing after a long off-season.
“Things haven’t really stopped,” Eldridge said.
“We’ve been working pretty hard since the season finished to get ourselves ready for the new year.
“We had a tough run in 2019, but we’re still developing.
“We’ve kept the majority of our list, we’ve really only lost a few who have moved away for work.
“But we’ve been able to keep together.
“We set a goal before last year of developing the group of players we had, everyone has bought into the idea and are staying around again this year to see where we can go.”
The club has picked up several strong recruits, including the likes of Callum Doyle and Fraser Verhey returning to the club, but Eldridge said it was the development of younger players which had impressed him the most.
“You haven’t been able to stop them,” he said.
“Doing extra training or gym, the young guys are putting all the work they can to get fitter and stronger.
“It’s really good to see how much they want to get better and stronger and push for selection, I’m really impressed by their work ethic.”
The club has not sat down and planned its goals for the season, but Eldridge has some idea of what he wants to see from the group.
“I think we are in a pretty good position as a club heading into the season, hopefully we are able to translate that into some success on the field,” he said.
“Ideally, we’d want to be on the road towards finals.
“If we could get a few more wins for this season, start to make our way up the ladder I’d be really happy.
“It’s not going to turn around in one year, we’ve set a direction and we want to be progressing in that direction.”
FAST FACTS
COACH: LUKE ELDRIDGE
MFL PREMIERSHIPS: 2010
2019 FINISH: 14TH (2-16)
2019 BEST-AND-FAIREST: JACK HARLAND
2019 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: FRASER BUCHANAN (44)
GROUND: MOAMA RECREATION RESERVE
NICKNAME: MAGPIES
IN: Darcy Bibby (Leitchville-Gunbower), Toby Hore (Leitchville-Gunbower), Marcus Wattie (Tyntynder), Jack Gleeson (Tooleybuc Manangatang), Callum Doyle (Rochester), George Presto (overseas), Liam Ritchie (injury), Fraser Verhey (Echuca), Kobe Poulton (Echuca), Hudson Moyle (Echuca).
OUT: Sam Youngman (Waubra), Dylan Wright (Anglesea), Dougal McKindlay, Lachlan Thorp.
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