The Goulburn Valley League outfit sees two of its favourite sons, Max and Harry, off to the national second tier as the boys each ink contracts with Collingwood’s VFL outfit for the coming season.
It was a watershed season of accomplishments for the pair of brothers, with elder Harry earning best-on-ground honours in the GVL’s drought-breaking senior interleague win over the Ovens and Murray last year.
Younger brother Max, meanwhile, earned a share of the Murray Bushrangers best and fairest alongside newly minted Port Adelaide forward Joe Berry.
In joining the Pies’ reserve setup, they’ll have plenty to learn and adapt to - but even when they find time to return home, former Collingwood AFL midfielder Callum Brown will be on hand in the high country as a marquee signing to lend some knowledge.
‘Hard work’ epitomises the story that has landed these two at the Lexus Centre - and in congratulating Max and Harry, those were Eagles’ president Bo Christopher’s favourite words.
“Harry stayed as a train-on, but with Collingwood’s injuries and his interleague best-on, he won a contract and the rest is history as he goes strength to strength,” Christopher said.
“Max got asked to come down at the end to the year and have a run after he got the Murray BnF, and he was offered his just last week.
“They’re ecstatic. It’s been a huge effort from both boys, but Max especially has been driving down from Mansfield two or three times a week just to train since early November.
“They’re from great stock and they only know one way, which is hard work.
“They’re great role models for our whole junior program to show there’s opportunity if you do the work.”
It marks the latest, and one of the most enriching, chapters in an illustrious history of Mahoney family involvement at Mansfield.
Family is everything at the gateway to the mountains, though, and Christopher understands as well as anyone given the successes of his son Ben in the senior side.
“We’ve had a lot of boys come home after being away for various reasons,” Christopher said.
“Max and Harry have two sisters, Meg and Ava, playing netball with us as well.
“The family is Mansfield royalty as they’ve always been here and they’re part of the furniture and culture.
“We’re so proud as a club for these two boys getting recognition after their hard work. We don’t think of them as departures, as we’ll see them when Collingwood has the bye.
“Predominantly, we’re hoping they have great VFL seasons and after that, who knows?”
There was one additional departure noted as a matter of record, with Patrick Marks - himself boasting previous experience on Collingwood’s VFL list as a Mansfield local - departing the Eagles nest to join Prahran in the Victorian Amateur Football Association.
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