Tara Murray
The appetite is high at Macedon ahead of the Riddell District Football League season.
The Cats were sitting second when last year’s season was called off and were playing some really good football.
With the majority of the group returning, coach Al Meldrum said the group was keen to get back out there.
“There’s been three pre-seasons for nine games,” he said. “The appetite is there for our group.
“We put ourselves in a good position last year, who knows what would have happened? We were playing a good brand of football.
“Going off last year, we might be there at the pointy end. We can use that confidence this year.”
The core group has returned for the Cats, but there are a couple of big outs.
Shaun Harrison has gone to Heathcote to play under a good friend and new coach Andrew Saladino, Sean Rilley is looking to try his luck in the Ballarat Football League, while Seb Miletic has moved to Queensland.
On the other side, the Cats have brought in four recruits.
Brody Lamplugh comes from Gisborne and will play up forward, while Zach Baggs played in the Central Murray Football League.
Great mates Declan Phyland and Todd Delahey have also come across. Both played together at Bacchus Marsh, with Delahey previously playing with Diggers Rest also.
“All four guys we’ve managed to bring are rippling blokes off the field,” Meldrum said.
“We’re pretty positive again, but we don’t know how it will play out.”
The Cats will have a new captain, with James Wright standing down from the role.
Zach Smedely has been appointed the new captain.
“It’s a changing of the guard,” Meldrum said.
“Nipper sat down when the season get canceled and he raised it. He said ‘I think it is time, there’s enough people to choose from’.
“It was always going to be his decision. He’s a fairly decorated player in the club and league.
“Zach has been a really good player for a number of years.”
In a massive bonus for the Cats, their junior program is growing. The club will field two under-15 and under-17 teams, along with an under-19 team.
Meldrum said this was really important for the club and something he had been keen to push.
“For a small club to have two under-15 and under-17 is really good,” he said.
“We didn’t have under-19s in 2019. We were going to have a team in 2020, but the season didn’t go ahead and then we ignited it last year and got the boyds back on the field.
“It really gives us that comfort that we are doing things the right way in the junior program.”
