INS: Lucas McKinnon, Blake McKinnon (Therry Penola), Corey Mobilio (Sunbury), Tyson Chapman, Blake Laverie (Woodend-Hesket), Tayte Lewis (Seymour)
OUTS: Rielly Old (Seymour), Blake Fothergill (Shepparton United), Jonathan Moore (Shepparton Swans), Nicholas Asquith (Euroa), Nathan Fothergill (retired)
There is a quiet optimism at Nagambie Recreation Reserve heading into 2025, with the Lakers keen to improve upon their semi-final appearance last season.
While they have lost a wealth of talent and experience in reigning league medallists Reilly Old and Blake Fothergill, as well as Jono Moore and Nick Asquith, all to Goulburn Valley League clubs, second-year coach Harley Taylor-Lloyd believes his side has the depth to rival anyone in the KDL.
“The midfield was our strength last year, but I think we can bat a bit deeper now,” he said.
“Realistically, I think we can probably put eight people through there now, where last year we might have only had, say, four or five.”
The 2023 club best and fairest Tom Barnes returns to the fold after an injury-riddled 2024, as does 2023 leading goalkicker Will Dalton, and with recruiting aimed at bolstering the forward 50, the Lakers are hoping to have corrected their scoring struggles.
“We were getting it in there, we had immense talent in the midfield, we had one of the best ruckmen in the comp, we just couldn't kick a score,” Taylor-Lloyd said.
“We'd have days where we'd kick seven, eight goals against a good team in quarter, other days we'd kick bloody two goals in a half.”
