MITTA United has launched into a new era with Ben Dower and Phil Packer taking over as co-coaches and favourite son Alex Beggs stepping up as club president.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
With the traditional powerhouse concerned for its future as an outlying club, the Blues have lured Dower (Jindera) and Packer (Murray Magpies) back from the Hume league and vowed to target home-grown talent.
Packer, a three-time premiership coach, said he was looking forward to working with Dower.
“It’s getting pretty hard for teams out of town and, with a lot of friends still at the club, I wanted to get back and help out where I could,” Packer said.
“Benny played seniors as a 16-year-old before going to Albury and he’s the type of player we are looking for.
“It’s tough with a lack of juniors, the milk industry and the money that gets thrown around, but a lot of people are working hard and hopefully we can build things up again.”
Although Mitta United’s seniors made the finals under Mark Dicketts this season, it was embarrassed to forfeit a game in the reserves against Thurgoona.
The Blues are also without under-14s.
Mitta United has taken heart from Dederang-Mt Beauty’s rebuild from recruiting former players and supporters after the Bombers hit crisis point in 2017.
“We did a bit of a count and we have something like 36 ex-juniors playing elsewhere,” he said.
“Most of those are in town and we’ll look to get as many back as we can.
“We’re proud of the club’s history with juniors like Benny Paton, ‘Cegs’ (Jonathan Ceglar), Jack Zeibell and Joel Smith playing thirds and fourths for the club and then McKye Turner and all those sort of blokes are from that small area as well.”
Dower, a member of Albury's 2016 premiership team, was assistant-coach to Kerry Bahr at Jindera this season.
Former premiership ruckman Nick Fraser will coach Mitta United’s reserves.
Mitta United was buoyed by 25 people attending last week’s annual general meeting with Beggs taking over from John Baude as president.
Beggs will undergo a knee reconstruction early next year.
“I thought I’d better do something around the club if I wasn’t playing,” he said.
“We’re keen to coax some former players back and build on the atmosphere.”
Beggs played in five premierships at Mitta United and is a former skipper.