Temora coach Jake Wooden has hosed down expectations of a return by former star Tim McAuley, despite submitting a clearance for the club’s premiership player.
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McAuley left the Kangaroos after their hat-trick of flags in 2014, moving to South Mildura, where he won a Sunraysia League best-and-fairest, before heading north to play in Cairns.
With him currently back in town, Wooden said they would love to have McAuley in the blue and white this season but declared the clearance was done more in hope than reality.
“He’s applied for a job up north and it’s a matter of time when he goes,” Wooden said.
“He was happy for us to put in a clearance but he’s got a feeling he’s leaving in about three weeks time. He won’t be playing footy up there, but there was an odd chance he might be able to play a few games for us, but it’s a 90 percent chance that he’ll be gone.”
However, Wooden has confirmed the signing of key position player Mitch Haley from Canberra.
“He’s been playing forward the last couple of years,” Wooden said. “He is actually a centre-half-back (originally) so he can play forward or back, so he’ll be really good for us.
Haley kicked 35 goals in eight second grade games with Queanbeyan last season.
Haley joins Charlie Boyton (Ainslie) in coming to Temora this year. The pair will travel with Sam Jensen and Kieran Shea, who are going into their third season with the Kangaroos.
Temora’s first pre-season hit out will be against Turvey Park on Friday night at Maher Oval.
“All the Canberra blokes are playing on Friday night,” Wooden said.
“We’ve changed the game plan up a bit from last year. We’ve tweaked a few things. We’ve lost a lot of players, so I suppose on Friday I just want to see if it’s all going to come together.”
Temora are also keen to see former Deniliquin midfielder Ben McCalman in action. Having moved to Young, he’s linked up with the Kangaroos and made an early impression at training.
“He was going to play at Young, but they’ve folded so he’s come across to us,” Wooden said.
“He might be a bit of a surprise packet. He’s only small, like Sam Jensen, but he’s hard at it. He’s definitely playing (against Turvey Park) so we’ll have a look and see how he goes.”
Wooden’s former teammate at Lockhart, Josh Maniscalco, has also signed with Temora. He missed last season and only played three games in 2016.
The Kangaroos’ losses include Stephen Camp, Brayden Ambler, Daniel Hespe, Sam Jackson, as well as injured pair Matt Harpley and Colby Poole.
