PRE-SEASON COMMENTS
COACH JOHNO LEONCINI: As I've always said, we try to win every game we play and let the ladder take care of itself.
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TIM O'CONNOR: Clunes managed only one win last season, but Magpies supporters can expect a better return in 2019. While a finals spot is unlikely, coach Johno Leoncini and his boys should be able to make significant improvement on that win-loss ratio given the talent that has come to the club.
GEOFF TAYLOR MEDAL VOTING
Jack Fenner 5
Matthew Wrigley 4
Josh Thompson 4
Khyal Thompson 2
Ryan Thompson 2
Nic Clarke 1
Reagan Maddaford 1
Lachlan Hull 1
Jasper Chatham 1
CHFL TEAM OF THE YEAR
nil
THE YEAR THAT WAS
Clunes avoided the dreaded wooden spoon on the last weekend of the season in 2018.
But that wasn't the case for the Magpies in 2019 with a disappointing campaign ending in just one victory and a place at the bottom of the Central Highlands Football League table.
It was always going to be a tough year for the club following the departure of top player Jesse Baird, but the campaign started in relatively strong fashion. There were competitive performances in the early matches before a win over Carngham-Linton in round six.
But that proved to be the only joy for the Magpies, which really battled in the back half of the year.
Against the top teams in the competition, the Clunes boys struggled and were handed many heavy defeats in the run home.
The club's recruits largely gave a solid return, with Brad Dolan leading the way in attack with 21 goals and Brody Lawford taking out the club's best and fairest award.
But the lack of talent across the board really made it hard for Leoncini's men to compete across four quarters.
SEASON 2020
Looking ahead to next season, it's good that the club has been able to secure head coach Johno Leoncini for a third year in charge.
The Magpies have had a large turnover of coaches during the past decade, making it tough to build any form of stability in the senior ranks.
Like many of the bottom teams, recruiting is vital for Clunes to become competitive and close the gap on the finals contenders.
While there of course needs to be development from within its current playing group and under-18 graduates, it was clear last season that the senior group lacked the A-grade players needed to take the load off those at the lower level.
North Shore duo Alex Bowd and Jonny Fazio are among the early signings at Clunes and arrive to give some much-needed experience.
But the departure of Lawford to Southern league side Murrumbeena is a huge blow given his strong 2019 campaign with the club.