The Moore Creek Mountain Goats look like being one of the biggest winners out of the demise of the Central North and Group 4 competitions this season with Andrew Moodie set to play for the fledgling club.
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The Pirates and North Tamworth star has been training with the club ahead of next month's season kick-off and showing some pretty good touch too according to club president Matt Bridge.
Not that he is a stranger to the round ball game. The multiple-premiership winner played a lot soccer in his junior years, Bridge said.
"Back when we was 14-15 he was one of the better players in town," he said.
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He will certainly be a handy addition as the club prepares to step up and test themselves in the new Northern Inland Premier Division.
The Mountain Goats are one of five clubs making the jump from the local Tamworth competition.
Established last year by a group of friends, the club's primary focus was on building a strong junior base.
It was that same eye to the future that prompted the move to the premier league.
"For us if we don't go now it will leave us behind the pack and won't give us a future as a club," Bridge said.
At the moment that future is looking pretty bright, their inaugural season well exceeding expectations.
"We set out for five teams and ended up with 13," Bridge said.
On top of that their under-13s team qualified for the grand final of the local Tamworth competition, and both their first and reserve grade sides were semi-finalists.
This year is shaping up to be even bigger and better after adding another five junior teams.
Bridge is though under no illusions about the challenge in front of what is a "generally older group" stepping up to the Premier Division competition, but is confident of being competitive.
"There's some strong sides, which is going to be a hard thing. But we've got a lot of strong sportsman at the club," he said.
The likes of Moodie, captain Dean Hoy and Dean Finlay have played a lot of first grade football over the years in various different codes.
With that they bring a lot of experience. That experience will be invaluable to the young players coming through such as Lachie Smith and Sam Murphy.
Murphy made his first grade debut as a 15-year old last year, while Smith played a couple of games.
Bridge expects both to play a fair bit of first grade this season as they continue their development.
Back training now for about three weeks, they have been doing a lot of fitness and ball work, just trying to get that fitness and touch back in readiness for the season kick-off on July 4.
