New coach Dale Tapping has overseen the opening weeks of the pre-season down at Gosch's Paddock, sharing the load with Anthony Rocca (Forward Development Coach), Tarkyn Lockyer (Midfield Development Coach) and Mitch Hahn (Backline Development Coach).
The VFL squad is in good shape with 36 players training with the team over the course of the past month. Fifteen of the 21 men on the 2012 list are also staking their claims for another year at the club. Familiar faces backing up for another season include captain Kris Pendlebury, 2011 Best and Fairest winner Tom Sundberg, Jack Hellier, Nick Riddle and Cathal Corr.
Several fresh faces have bobbed up from the TAC Cup and local leagues, giving Tapping, new VFL General Manager Luke Gatti and the coaching staff plenty of options as they build towards their first practice match against Essendon's newly reformed stand-alone outfit at Victoria Park on 8 March.
Dale Tapping watches his team complete a handball drill on Wednesday evening at Gosch's Paddock.
Forward Line Development Coach Anthony Rocca takes charge.
Tapping briefs the players before the session.
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Sam Williams (second from left) and Matthew Hine (fifth from left), who both featured regularly during the 2012 season, take some new faces through a light jog.
The group soaks up every word.
Captain and 2012 Best and Fairest winner Kris Pendlebury leads the players during the warm up.
Former coach Tarkyn Lockyer (now charged with developing the younger midfielders) points the way.
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Competition for spots on the list is intense with untried players eager to impress their potential coaches.
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Cathal Corr, a former St Kilda rookie who impressed for the Magpies in the early stages of 2012, evades a tackler.
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Lockyer keeps the players on their toes later in the session.
Rob Cathcart keeps his head down; Tom Sundberg strides through a lane during the warm up.
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Retirement hasn't blunted Lockyer's trademark footskills.
Gosch's Paddock - where dreams are made.
