AFTER a season more glass half-empty than half-full, Merbein president Toney Hurley believes the Magpies can climb into the upper echelon of SFNL football.
Hurley said after co-coaches Vinny Rodi and Joe Cavallo agreed to coach in 2023 that preparations for next season had already left him with unprecedented confidence.
The Magpies will have room to improve after finishing with a eight win, eight loss season.
After falling to a 1-4 record, they rallied back into contention with four wins before a shock 13-point loss to Mildura put them on a four-game losing streak which ended any finals’ hopes.
Hurley said the Magpies had been hurt by their early-season inability to close out games, but the players showed, as the season progressed, that they had adapted to Rodi and Cavallo’s plan to play high-possession football.
“We gave up some big leads in the first part of the season,” Hurley said. “That hurt us at the end of the year – it definitely kept us out of playing finals.
“It became a natural process when they were a little bit tired, but they could still switch on and the structure wasn’t out the window as it had been at the start of the season.
“The end of year showed we can play a style of footy that is really competitive against anyone.”
The Magpies closed the season on a three-game winning streak as they fielded more youth to sit on an 8-8 record.
Hurley said Rodi and Cavallo’s decision to name under-16s players in the senior side during the final rounds gave the club optimism for 2023.
“There’s a couple of young blokes here that know they’re going to be more than very good depth by the start of next year,” he said. “A couple could be starting 22 next year.
“In my nine years as president, I think I’ve got more confidence going forward into the next season than I’ve ever had before.”
Hurley said Merbein had worked hard in the past month to improve its list, particular at key forward positions, and expected to announce name some out-of-Sunraysia signings in the next couple of weeks.
He said after seeing Saturday’s grand final, he hoped the Magpies could use the injection of youth and recruits to push for a place in the 2023 decider.
“The grand final was a fitting result, a very close game between Wentworth and Irymple,” Hurley said. “Next year we’d like to be the third side.”
