Broadmeadow Magic

Coach: Anthony Richards

Last year: 4th (38 points, +17 goals)

Arrivals: Sam Walker, Tom Walker (Lakes), Tom Smart (Charlestown), Mitch Rooke (Manly), Jack Graham (Hakoah Sydney City East), Lachlan Watson (Spain-Unionistas CF)

Departures: Mitch Oxborrow, Kale Bradbery (Jaffas), Kristian Brymora (Green Gully), Justin Broadley, Josh Piddington (retired), Paul Bitz (work)

First Month: Jaffas (A), Charlestown (H), Weston (A), Edgeworth (H)

Broadmeadow embark on their first season under former assistant coach Anthony Richards and are missing some big names from last year. The 2018 grand final winners under Ruben Zadkovich, Magic are looking to some handy recruits and their depth to get them through.

You've lost a few players this year in different positions, who's going to be the biggest loss?

They are all big losses to be honest, because they are all experienced players. Josh [Piddington] and Justin [Broadley] with their experience, Mitchell [Oxborrow] with the way he can play - Ox is the best player in the competition and Kale [Bradbery] is such a dangerous player, Paul [Bitz] gave us a lot of experience at the back and was a good communicator, so they are all losses.

With all the changes to the line-up, have you changed anything about the way you play?

Not too much. It's a great opportunity and the committee is on board with it, which is good. It's about giving these younger guys a bit of a go. Guys like Jacob Dowse and Jeremy Wilson, it's time for those guys to step up, so now is their chance.

Given the quality you have lost, and looking to the future with these young guys, are the expectations going to drop on previous years?

We expect to do well all the time, so we are expecting to do as well as we can, but we do realise the younger ones probably will take a bit longer to get to where the seniors who left were. But we're patient enough and the committee realises that, which is good.

Ruben is an intense character, so with the change of coach is there a different approach?

Yeah, there is. Me and Ruben think the same but express differently, so the players do have to adjust to that a little bit. But Ruben is still around in the background. He's not far away, as is Josh, who is helping out with the fitness, and Justin keeps in touch, so all those guys are still around, but there is an adjustment, for sure.

Is there someone from training and trials that looks like a player to watch this year?

I have no dramas saying Jeremy Wilson is the guy standing out at the moment. He's doing a great job for us, and he's been terrific so far. He could be playing anywhere, Jeremy is a very versatile player and he can fit in many spots.

Magic have been finals regulars for many years but face a more difficult task this season to make the top five.

They scraped into a top-four finals last year and have lost quality all over the park, especially in NPL player of 2019 Oxborrow, Bradbery and stalwart centre-back and captain Piddington.

Despite that, the additions of Sam Walker and Tom Smart at either end lessen the blows and the club has always had great depth. That will be tested this year against many clubs who have bolstered their stocks.

Broadmeadow, though, still have marquee attacker James Virgili and a ton of experience in the likes of John Majurovski, Jon Griffiths, Matt Hoole and new skipper Luke Virgili to build on.

How 2018 league player of the year and top-scorer Sam Walker works with the new-look attacking line-up will be a major factor.

Broadmeadow have the starting line-up to be among the title contenders but their drop in depth will likely put them in the mid-table mix battling for the last spots in the play-offs.

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