Refreshed Magpies set their sights on upset

DESPITE just one win from its first eight games, Claremont is looking at its SFL season with a glass-half-full approach, noting the club was in a great position compared to its disastrous recent history.

While they are far from the dominant SFL powerhouses they once were, the Magpies appear to have turned a corner from their horror days of 2020 and 2021, in which the club failed to win a senior match across the two years.

The Magpies ended their two-plus-year winning drought in Round 4 this season against New Norfolk, and despite not registering a second win just yet it’s been a positive turnaround since the days of regular 200-point losses.

On Friday, Claremont star Jack Crossin said the mood in Pie Land was upbeat, knowing where the club had come from.

“I think the club is in a great position and with coming back from where we were, everything is a win for us,” he said.

“We are in a really positive space at the club and we are looking nothing but forward now.”

After a competition bye last round, Crossin said his side was excited about the rest of the season as it prepared for the tough trip to Shark Park to play Dodges Ferry on Saturday.

“We had a week off to get our minds set and our bodies right to go for the second half of the season, so it was a good mental break and it’s good to be back into it now,” he said.

“The things we’ve been working on have been really positive, and this week has been really good on the track, so I’m just hoping we can bring a good brand of footy and really challenge them down there.

“It’s a tough gig down there, but we did challenge them last time at home, which was our best game so far.”