Parkside has gone outside the box as it aimed to strengthen its squad for next year’s Western Football League division 1 season.
The Magpies fell just short of finals this year and have been one of the big movers early in the off season with a number of new signings.
The club started back training in mid-November with co-coach Chris Muratore saying they felt they were in a good place.
“We have been adding players most years as we don’t have 18s or juniors,” he said. “We want to make sure we have two teams and the club sticks around.
“We want to have two really strong sides. We’ve had a few players leave, but we have replaced them and we’re really happy.”
The Magpies have headed south as they’ve gone looking for new players, with several recruits coming from Tasmania.
Muratore said they needed to look outside the box.
“Sometimes everyone is going for the same pond,” he said. “It’s the same players that everyone is looking at.
“We had a few connections over there.”
Key position player Tiernan McCormack crosses Launceston having played for the Tassie Devils in the Coates Talent League in 2023
Deagan Madden fills a void in the ruck department that Muratore said they needed to desperately fill.
Madden claimed back-to-back senior best and fairest awards at Longford.
Zach Morris is a talented key position player who can impact at either end of the ground.
He has played with the Tassie Devils and featured in the Victorian Football League and South Australian National Football League.
Muratore said they would be in Melbourne full time in January.
The Magpies have also added a number of other recruits.
“The biggest thing for us was retention and we did that early when we came back into A-grade a couple of years ago,” Muratore said.
“We have built and maintained that group and we’ve got them down on points for the long term.
“Ninety per cent of the list re-signed. Dean Simmons, Tom Condon, Jack Condon are now one point players for the club.
“We’ve looked to fill holds.”
Muratore said the biggest thing for the group now was having that consistency to close the gap between their best and their worst.
He said there was a big gap and they hoped bringing in experienced players would help with that.
In a positive sign, the Magpies along with Ascot Vale are aiming to get an under-18s side up for next year.
Muratore said they had a couple of younger players at their first training session and were hoping they would get more come down.
