NEW Boort football coach Andrew Rutley is looking to Essendon league players languishing in the seconds to keep the Magpies in contention for North Central finals in 2026.
The Magpies have lost Jhye Baddeley-Kelly, who finished top three in the North Central best-and-fairest award in his two seasons with the club, veteran defender Ryan McGhie and last season’s captain Jarrod Fitzpatrick.
Fitzpatrick has been appointed senior coach of Loddon Valley club Pyramid Hill and has taken the two players with him.
“Jhye is a big loss obviously … McGhie … but these boys are a bit older and they’re not getting any quicker,” Rutley said.
“It’s a good opportunity to start again with the kids we have. There’s a lot of young talent.” Rutley was senior assistant to coach Dale Cameron in 2025 and filled in for an unwell Cameron when the Magpies had their biggest win in several years against reigning premiers Sea Lake Nandaly.
“It was a fantastic result, and our best win for the season,” he said. “After that we dropped off a bit and went back to the pack, but we still deserved our place in the finals.”
Rutley said he joined Boort for the 2025 season on the understanding that he would take over from Cameron.
Living in Melbourne, he plans to recruit heavily from the Division One Essendon District league, taking advantage of his long connection with that competition through the Doutta Stars club.
Rutley said he would take training with Melbourne-based players on Tuesday or Wednesday before travelling to Boort on Thursday for a session with the local contingent.
Having played all his football with Doutta Stars and Boort, where he won the club best-and-fairest in 2004, Rutley said the travel didn’t trouble him.
Indeed, he believed it was a good bonding experience for out-of-town players to travel together to matches.
“I think it’s good for the Melbourne boys to jump into a car together – it’s a lot of fun.”
Rutley has already signed a former Vic Metro player for next season, a hybrid forward-midfielder “with a good set of hands” whom he was not prepared to name yet.
“There are a few disgruntled players in the Essendon league who are playing in the seconds – blokes with a lot of talent who could hold their own in the North Central league,” he said.
The player points system is one issue Rutley will confront.
Boort will play with 43 points next season, down from 44 after the Magpies’ first finals appearance in a decade.
Players are rated from one to five points, largely depending on experience, and clubs must not field a team whose total player points surpass the league-imposed cap.
Rutley said he would speak to the league to try to have the decision reversed and admitted losing a player point made recruiting harder.
- GARY WALSH