Grubbers go back to well to add depth

OCEAN Grove has already begun targeting former homegrown stars as it bids to improve on Sunday’s elimination final exit.

Grubbers coach Paul Lynch revealed he had an eye to the GFL, eager to lure former players to the club. “The one-pointers are the way to go now because you’re very hamstrung with points,” Lynch said in the wake of the loss to Modewarre.

“We’re already in the process of talking to all our one-pointers to get them all back.”

After a busy recruiting spree that netted the outside run and goalkicking prowess of Brent Macleod and James Linton, as well as veteran spearhead Jake Carmody, the Grubbers took a step forward on their sixth-placed finish in 2016.

But Lynch said the need for another key defender and a bullocking midfielder was no more evident than Sunday, when Ocean Grove lost the onball battle against the Warriors.

“We definitely need some inside mids, we don’t shy away from that,” Lynch said.

“We put Pete (Hardy) on the ball in the second half and he’s definitely an option for us, but if that’s the case, we need to recruit defenders.

“We definitely need more depth. Our twos finished well outside the five, and to challenge for a premiership, you need to have both sides playing off in finals and we’re not there yet.”

Lynch has a rich history of building clubs from the ground up.

In 2013 while at GFL club Colac, he raided surrounding clubs and built the depth of the senior list.

The following season, the Tigers played off in reserves and senior grand finals, winning the senior premiership.

The Grubbers will use a similar blueprint in 2018, with Lynch declaring he will start from the ground up.