Oliver Lees
Laverton coach Tony Jofre believes his side is ready for the challenge of the new look Western Football League division 2 competition.
Following the conclusion of last season a decision was made to merge division 2 and division 3 of the WFL, which has been renamed in the off-season.
This means the Magpies, who last year competed in division 3, will be thrown into an expanded 14 team competition with several new opponents.
In 2023, the Magpies finished in sixth place in the seven team division 3 competition, tallying four wins and 12 losses.
Jofre said his team is mostly healthy and excited to put their game plan to the test.
“We’re definitely looking forward to the challenge,” he said.
“More teams gives more diversity in terms of the teams you play, so it’s not a bad thing.”
In order to stand up to the challenge of the new divisional structure, Jofre said it was a focus in the off season to bring maturity and experience into the line up.
“A lot of the talent we’ve brought in is people who are related to, or friends of players we already have,” he said.
Jofre had high praise for new recruit Alex Grigg, who will captain the Magpies in his first year at the club.
Alex is the brother of existing Magpies player Matt Grigg.
Last season Grigg played for division 1 team Point Cook and kicked the opening goal in the grand final against Werribee Districts.
Jofre said Grigg was an easy selection for captaincy.
“He’s worked really hard and has a lot of maturity,” he said.
Antony Pasqua will return for the Magpies after a standout 2023 season.
The 201 centimetre ruck forward joined the club after playing at Moonee Valley and Keilor Park.
Last year he was named on the interchange for the division 3 team of the year.
The Magpies will play the curtain raiser for the competition on Good Friday against Braybrook.
It will be the only match of the weekend, followed by a singular game between Sunshine and Albion on April 6.
Round one will officially kick off with all teams playing on April 13, meaning those four clubs will have an additional bye round later in the season.
Braybrook also had a challenging 2023 campaign, finishing in last place in division 2 with just one win from 16 games. Scoring was a major challenge for Braybrook, as they finished the season with a percentage of 6.25.
