Cootamundra are on the hunt for new blood with most of their recruits from this season heading elsewhere for 2019.
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With Glen Buttriss not returning for a second season at the helm of his hometown club a number of players who followed him to the club are moving on as well.
Mid-season recruit Jarrod Brackenhofer is heading to the Queensland Cup while Jake Goodwin, Jeremy Wood and Aaron Duncan aren’t expected to be at the club either.
Goodwin has been one of the standouts in 2018 with his powerful running game, but is returning home to coach Group 20 club West Wyalong.
The 24-year-old is looking forward to lining up for the Mallee Men, who just missed out on playing finals this season.
“It will be good to play with all my mates who I played with growing up and my brother (Mitch),” Goodwin said.
Goodwin credited the Bulldogs with helping to reinvigorate his love for the game.
He spent the previous three years with Mounties and was in the Sharks under 20s system before that but has really enjoying being back to his country roots.
“It was unreal,” Goodwin said.
“I’m enjoying footy again being back in the country.
“It re-sparked my love for footy again as I was losing it a bit living in Sydney.”
Goodwin, Wood and Duncan are all from West Wyalong but Wood has indicating he’s looking to retire.
Finding some bigger bodies to replace those not returning is a focus for new co-coach Matt Forsyth.
Forysth is hoping to have some new faces secured in the coming weeks, but with his experience coaching juniors believes there is plenty of young talent already in the club ready to step up.
“It is a pretty big hole to fill but hopefully we should be right up some of the juniors who are coming through as well,” Forsyth said.
“We’re looking at a few props at the moment.
“Just some big boys to get us going forward, hopefully we can get a few of hem in the next couple of weeks.”
Forsyth and Chris Maher were announced as the Bulldogs new co-coaches last week as the club looks to return to the finals for the first time since 2013.
Despite their big recruitment drive, Cootamundra just missed out on finals this season.
They finished fifth the year the top four was introduced.
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