PLAYER CHANGES
INS: Harley Middleton (Lockhart), Sebastian Fernandez (Katandra), Mitch Collins-Bye (Tocumwal), Mitch Tyson (Yarrawonga)
OUTS: Jack Sutherland (overseas)
Mulwala enters the new year some distance from the lofty heights which saw the border outfit crowned senior premiers in 2022 and 2023.
It took a thrilling final-day show of guts for the Lions to punch their finals ticket, but while Jack Sutherland’s departure is no doubt sizeable, they would be hopeful Seb Fernandez’s goalkicking pedigree can fill the void.
Harley Middleton is no stranger to the big sticks himself, and the pieces are certainly there for a more firepower-laden side if everything manages to click.
“We’ve got a couple of blokes returning to their local district who wanted to have a kick,” coach Matt Gorman said.
“We’re getting some boys back who weren’t available last year, so they’ll be pretty handy.
“On paper, I’d say we’ll be looking to mix it with those top sides, but it’s about making sure we get everything rolling in the right direction.
“We’re looking forward to getting stuck in and chasing the likes of Congupna and Moama.”
There’s no denying the labour of work ahead to reach those spots again, though.
“Last year was pretty disappointing; everything that could go wrong did in terms of injuries,” Gorman said.
“We really hope we’re back in the hunt. We’ve got a lot of players from those grand finals we were lucky enough to win, so we’ll try and climb back up that mountain.”
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