JOE and Nigel Otto have confirmed they are returning to Wickliffe/Lake Bolac as joint senior coaches for the 2016 Mininera and District Football League season.
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The pair come back to the Magpies after years away from the club. Joe last played in 2005, and was part of the premiership winning team at just 17 years of age.
He then went to the North Ballarat Rebels for a season, moving to North Ballarat Roosters before joining the Ballarat Swans. Both Joe and Nigel played for the Swans in their 2008 Ballarat Football League premiership victory.
Another Otto brother, defender Rhys, is also making his way back to the Magpies for season 2016.
Joe Otto told The Ararat Advertiser he was excited to be playing at Wickliffe/Lake Bolac again after 10 years’ absence, and it was the hometown factor that lured him and the brothers back to the club.
“I’ve always wanted to come back to the club, but the timing has never been right until now,” Joe said.
“I’m really excited to be back, to be honest and we’ve got a number of ex-players coming back, which is pretty cool. Having Nigel there as joint coach will take a bit of pressure off as well.”
The onballer/small forward is focusing on what he described as ‘getting a bit of buzz back around the club.’
“Obviously we want to have on-field success. Recruiting is going well and we want to build on that on-field success over the next few years, not just for one season,” Joe Otto said.
“Hopefully we can get that buzz back around the club and town, get people back to watching the footy and creating that excitement.”
In addition to the Otto brothers, the Magpies have signed former Ballarat Swans pair, Tristan May and Chris Thornton. May is an onballer while Thornton is a key position player and can play both forward and back, which is similar to Nigel Otto.
Wickliffe/Lake Bolac president, Vin Hanrahan, is thrilled by the return of these former local players and hopes they can recreate the success of the Magpies’ premiership three-peat in the early 2000s (2000, 2001 and 2002).
The Magpies players are meeting in Ballarat on Friday, December 4 with training to commence in early January 2016.