Group 4: Former Werris Creek first graders Neil Constable and Cheyne Davis step up to coach under-18s

Neil, also nicknamed Bozo, and Cheyne take over from Dave "Rocky" Stewart who resurrected the juniors last year after some 15 years or so.

In doing so Stewart provided talented young teenagers such as Malik Hunt, Riley Leonard and Charlie Parsons with the chance to play at their own age group level as well as make the jump to the first grade bench.

This year he also jumps a grade to help first grade captain-coach Cody Tickle run the Magpies main grade.

Stewart said he and Tickle hope to play a more attacking game when Group 4 Media rolled up for training last week.

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They co-ordinated a session that included around 30 players.

"Great, growing numbers," Tickle said after the session.

"The boys have been putting in at training too, there's a good vibe amongst the group.

"We've got some good kids coming out of the 18's too, like Riley, Charlie and Malik even though Malik is still eligible for juniors."

The teenagers' form late last year and his performances at training suggest he might spend more time in the top grade than the 18's.

"If he keeps training the way he has he certainly will be," Tickle said.

"Then we have players like Ronan Hadden, he's fit and Isaah Millgate has also been training real well. Isaah has also taken a bit more of a leadership role, especially with the young kids."

Tickle is confident the club will be more than competitive in 2022 with alternating faces at sessions suggesting the club will be strong in both quality and quantity.

And he's looking forward to some trial games.

"We play Dungowan here on March 5th," he said.

"We also go to Cardiff on the 26th but will only be taking a squad of 20. Bucko rang me from Baradine the other day too and it looks like we might have a trial against Baradine too."

Constable and Davis are also looking forward to those trials to further enhance the Magpie junior ranks.

Both are former Werris Creek first graders who know all about the club spirit, culture and history.

They played in the glory days when the Magpies reigned supreme in Group 4 and won a Clayton Cup.

They also know the problems the Magpies face, being a town of around 1400 in population.

"Most of our kids will come from Tamworth," Constable said.

A policeman since 2000 he's helped frank a deal with the Collegians club in Tamworth.

"They don't have a senior club so most of our boys will be coming from the younger Collegians teams. We've done a deal with them to help progress their young players.

"They are all good kids too."

While the majority of 18's will be coming from Collegians, some, such as Nash Porter are homegrown.

Nash is the son of former great Stewart "Fuzz" Porter, a brilliant playmaking, goalkicking halfback who helped the Magpies win multiple premierships in the '90s.

Fuzz was there on Monday night, training, with the rest of the squad.

He hopes to play this season too, he told G4 Media. Sitting on the bench for second grade and maybe play a few minutes with Nash, who hopes to spur the juniors to success and join his father for some second grade game time.

For Constable and Davis it's the chance to give back to a club that gave them so many great times and memories.

"We're trying to talk Shane O'Donoghue into being an assistant too," Davis said of a former teammate and outstanding backrower from those halcyon days in the 90's and 2000s.

These days Davis works for Pacific National (railway) and at age 43 has experienced many great days at David Taylor Park and for the Magpies.

"Started in the under-6's here," he said.

Constable also started at the Creek, playing juniors but having to match up against teams such as Wee Waa that had the likes of Lee Stanford, Sean Trindall and Matt Hogan, he recalled.

"We had some great years, 95-96-97," he said of premiership seasons.

"Won the Clayton Cup in 96. Then I moved away in 2000."

He also played at Manilla before retiring and now returning to try and help young men fire up for the Magpies on the start of their journey for a proud, small-town club.

"We've still got players to come to training yet, A lot of them are still playing touch, oztag and cricket," he said.

"We're also more than happy take anyone who wants a game. They are more than welcome to come down here and have a run (Mondays and Thursdays from 6.30pm). We'll also be training here (David Taylor Park, Werris Creek) and in Tamworth too."