Frogs hope to keep gun batsman in fold

MURGHEBOLUC says it remains hopeful of retaining young gun Luke Brown as he bids to make a move to South Barwon.

Frogs president Steve Doedee said the club would reluctantly release captain Terry Hill to the Swans, but had planned to continue conversations with Brown in a bid to keep him at the club.

The players have expressed their desire to depart King Lloyd Reserve to play in Division 1 at South Barwon after Murgheboluc was axed to Division 2.

Hill will be cleared, but Brown is not over the line.

Champion Ben Nichols has also departed, joining Manifold Heights as captain-coach.

With Bill Dixon standing down as coach at the end of last season, the Frogs are without most of their leadership group as they embark on a new season in GCA2.

“We’re still on the look out for a coach and we haven’t got any announcements,” Doedee said. “It’s disappointing to lose those guys, especially Ben to a competitor, but he’s aspiring to coach and good luck to him.

“We’re still trying to work on Luke, he’s the future of our club and it’s a bit disappointing. I can see that he wants to stay in Division 1, but it would have been nice for a few of the boys to help us fight our way back into Division 1.”

Doedee stressed the club was not ready to part ways with Brown, who scored 319 runs last season, although he conceded it was unlikely the gun batsman would stay.

“We’re still talking to him and the clearances are not in yet,” he said.

“We’d love him to stay but he wants to go to South. We sat down with him and we thought we might have been a chance to keep him, but he’s indicated he wants to go.

“I’d say he’s a 70 per cent of going, 30 per cent chance of staying. As a club we can’t afford to lose our young, quality players. As a club we should be fighting to keep them.”

Doedee wished outgoing star Nichols all the best in his coaching role at the Sharks.