Massive moves mark major change for Mansfield football

PLAYER CHANGES

INS: Matt King (Northern Bullants), Callum Brown (Box Hill), Will Foster (Bonnie Doon), Nick Gray (Blackburn), Mitch Lewis (Sunbury)

OUTS: Max Mahoney (Collingwood VFL), Harry Mahoney (Collingwood VFL), Patrick Marks (Prahran), Sam Lynch (travel)

It’s a new day in the high country.

Some of Mansfield’s best and brightest prospects have bloomed and earned their passage to a higher plane, with Collingwood’s VFL side boasting a whole lot of Mahoney.

That’s not to say this is any sort of rebuild in the works for the side co-coached by Jack Hutchins and Mitch Wareham, though.

After all, some of Mansfield’s other great exports over time have answered the call to come home and give back to the area where they began - including the off-field expertise of former AFL Crow and Bomber Jake Kelly as an assistant coach.

Having wrapped up 2024 as the ‘best of the rest’, finishing in the first spot out of finals, the locally oriented recruiting strategy should pay off big, according to another town native in Hutchins.

“We’re lucky to have some pretty great people come back to the club who are pretty handy with the footy as well,” Hutchins said.

“Hopefully, we’re setting ourselves up for a bit of success.

“Last year was an unfortunate year where we just dropped off; we’re in a space where I believe we can compete with the top teams, and I know that’s the ambition of the playing group.

“We want to show that we’re around that mark.”

Of course, it won’t be an overnight process.

Hutchins, however, emphasises that the process of climbing back into September revolves around all the right kinds of players and staff buying in.

“Success isn’t always defined by wins and losses,” Hutchins said.

“If quality people want to be involved in the club, I think that sets up a successful culture.

“If we’re on the right track, that will come as a by-product, and our recruits are great people.

“We were able to blood some guys last year who have senior exposure now, and there are talented people coming through.

“It’s an exciting time.”