Changing of the guard at Euroa calls for young blood to step up

PLAYER CHANGES:

INS: Bryce Frost (Eaglehawk), Nick Asquith, Jarmyn Tremellen (Nagambie)

OUTS: Will Hayes (Carlton VFL), JD Hayes, Josh Robertson (Violet Town), Ryan Pendlebury (St Mary’s), Tom Garside, Dan Garside (St Bede’s), Andrew Smith (Chelsea Heights), Mason Stewart (Craigieburn), Jack Hellier (retired), Tristan Davies, Fletcher Paul

They say a tiger never changes its stripes, but what about a magpie?

It’s true in the case of Euroa, which will hit the park with a completely remodelled list due to heavy off-season movement that sees droves of experience depart Memorial Oval.

Ball magnets Will and JD Hayes are notable omissions from the engine room, while the exits of ruckmen Andrew Smith and Fletcher Paul, alongside key defender Ryan Pendlebury, would be hard on any team.

But when one door closes, another springs open.

Murray Bushrangers duo Darby Wilson and Cohen Paul are on board, and former Magpie talents Bryce Frost, Nick Asquith and Jarmyn Tremellen have returned to the nest hoping to create a new legacy in the black and white stripes.

Tasked with wrapping everything in a neat bow is David Gleeson, who is certainly no stranger to Euroa.

Gleeson is a former club mentor and takes over Pendlebury’s coaching position having previously steered the Magpies into a grand final in 2005.

He’s kept a watchful, insightful eye on the Pies over the years, understands the gravity of the job ahead, but remains pragmatic yet optimistic in the face of a new campaign.

“Obviously we’re losing a bit of experience with all the players that are gone, but we’ve been pretty positive and are pushing on - the commitment from the boys who’ve hung around has been really good,” he said.

“(Euroa has) gone from a grand final appearance to a preliminary final to a top six finish, so you’d be hoping that we could maintain a presence in finals again this year.

“But we understand that there’s some challenges with the amount of experience we’ve lost from the squad.

“Then again, the opportunity has come for the younger blokes who are coming through the footy club that’ve had a bit of a taste over the last 12 months so we’ll be looking for those younger guys to step up.”