Before the cancelled season, the Magpies appeared poised to shoot straight back into finals contention after a rare miss in 2019, and with just as much talent committed for this year, big things are forecast at Memorial Oval.
Leading the club's — and perhaps the league's — recruiting is former Collingwood VFL captain Jack Hellier, who after being set to split time between Magpie outfits will be full-time Euroa this season.
Ben Giobbi — brother of power forward Adam, who impressed greatly in 2019 — adds to the midfield and will combine with Hellier and elite talent JD Hayes to give the Magpies one of the competition's best midfield trios, with new ruck Andrew Smith to put the ball on a platter for them.
Coach Scott Rowan, who returns for his second season in charge of the Magpies, said things couldn't be shaping up better for his side.
“We're really happy with how we've recruited over the last year, everyone has stayed signed on other than Lewin Davis, and he's gone to play in Bendigo with a mate,” he said.
“We wanted help in the midfield for the boys that have been there the last two or three years, and a bit more bulk through there. We also wanted some more forward targets to help out Jett Trotter, and a ruckman as well — we were lucky to land one of them too.”
Other additions include forwards Tristan Davies and Erish Uthayakumar, who with Adam Giobbi and Jett Trotter give the side seriously explosive potential to hit the scoreboard at will, while former player Adrian Karatzas returns having reinvented himself as a running half-back flank.
And that's not all the Magpies boast to facilitate a speedy transition back to finals football from a 6-12 2019; its next generation of stars including Tom Panuccio, Ben Bath, Lachie Hill and Robbie Paradzayi appear among the region's finest.
All in all, Rowan expected his side to quickly show it was among the competition's best.
“You've always got targets, you'd be crazy not to — we think we're a genuine top three possibility, and who knows what happens after you get there,” he said.
“We feel we've got really good players on all lines and we're all good mates after a couple of pre-seasons together, so the sky is the limit.”
Of remaining stars, Trotter took himself into the GVL's upper-echelon with a stellar, 38-goal 2019, while Hayes’ first season without the added pressure of coaching the side saw him net the club's best and fairest.
FAST FACTS
JOINED LEAGUE: 1971 NICKNAME: MAGPIES GROUND: MEMORIAL OVAL COACH: SCOTT ROWAN PRESIDENT: SCOTT WATSON PREMIERSHIPS: 1971, 1990 MORRISON MEDALLISTS: ADAM BARKER (1998) 2019 FINISH: NINTH (6-12) 2019 BEST AND FAIREST: JD HAYES 2019 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: JETT TROTTER (38)
PLAYER CHANGES
IN: Riley Aldous (Yea), John Baring, Adrian Karatzas (Old Melburnians), Lachie Cooke (La Trobe University), Tristan Davies (Sydney University), Dan Garside (St Bede's-Mentone), Ben Giobbi (Rowville), Jack Hellier (Collingwood VFL), Liam Riley (Knox), Andrew Smith (Mt Gravatt), Erish Uthayakumar (Albury), Daniel Yogarajah.
OUT: Lewin Davis (Eaglehawk), Jimmy Ivill (Murchison-Toolamba), Jake Penman (Port Melbourne Colts).
GAME CHANGER: Jack Hellier: Immediately there is a strong argument to call Hellier the GVL's best player. The superstar midfield boasts more than 100 VFL games and as that side's former captain, Rowan suggested his leadership could be the thing to gel the new-look Magpies. With Hayes, Giobbi and Hellier in the middle, no matter who opposition sides target, someone will get loose.
SEASON PREDICTION: 2ND-4TH: The Magpies’ top-line talent is elite, as are the kids it has coming through the ranks. Its midfield group could be near-unstoppable, while a forward crew of Trotter, Giobbi, Davies and Uthayakumar seems tough to deal with too. It speaks to Kyabram's might that a side with this much talent isn't a red-hot premiership favourite.
EUROA MAGPIES SEASON FIXTURE
ROUND 1 TATURA (H) APRIL 3 ROUND 2 SHEPPARTON UNITED (A) APRIL 10 ROUND 3 ROCHESTER (H) APRIL 17 ROUND 4 SEYMOUR (A) APRIL 24ROUND 5 BENALLA (H) MAY 1ROUND 6 SHEPPARTON SWANS (H) MAY 8ROUND 7 MOOROOPNA (A) MAY 15ROUND 8 MANSFIELD (A) MAY 29ROUND 9 SHEPPARTON (H) JUNE 5ROUND 10 KYABRAM (A) JUNE 12ROUND 11 ECHUCA (H) JUNE 19ROUND 12 BENALLA (A) JUNE 26ROUND 13 TATURA (A) JULY 10ROUND 14 SEYMOUR (H) JULY 17ROUND 15 MANSFIELD (H) JULY 24 ROUND 16 SHEPPARTON (A) AUGUST 7ROUND 17 MOOROOPNA (H) AUGUST 14ROUND 18 ROCHESTER (A) AUGUST 21
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