Orange City is aiming to add some older heads to its mix of young talent in 2020, but at least two of the Lions' cubs will be leaving the den next season.
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Coach Viv Paasi is keeping his cards close to his chest on potential returns to Orange City for the 2020 season, with whispers some older hands were looking to return.
While Paasi added they may not all be first-graders, any experience would be a boost to the club.
"Some older players that haven't played for Orange City in quite a few years have mentioned they might be interested in coming back," he said.
"I'm not going to name any names - I'm not the sort of person to say it unless I 100 per cent know it for sure, but I'm hoping all of them do come back.
"They'd be the sort of guys who are a bit older and give some guidance and support to some of our younger guys."
Orange City were the youngest club in the Blowes Clothing Cup by a fair distance in 2019, with the club struggling on the field and failing to register a win in the season.
Paasi said the average age of the first grade squad last year was around 22, but was hoping to boost that in 2020.
They'd be the sort of guys who are a bit older and give some guidance and support to some of our younger guys.
- Orange City coach Viv Paasi on potential recruits for the Lions
The Lions are all but certain to lose Fletcher Rose and Harry Cooper for the season, with the young duo set to leave Orange for university.
Paasi said at this stage Rose looked set to head to Armidale after a year off study last year, whereas Cooper was likely to head to Wagga Wagga, depending on course acceptances.
While preseason training won't begin until a week or so after Australia Day, the Lions have still been busy over the off-season.
While the club is still battling the loss of equipment and merchandise in a fire to the Pride Park grandstand last month, the club continued with its inaugural academy.
Nineteen of the Lions' juniors, aged from 15 to 18, lined up alongside five of the club's youngest senior players under the tutelage of some of the club's most experienced heads.
Paasi teamed up with John Nunn, George Connaughton, Andy Hillan and James Grant to oversee the seven-week program, which was designed to give the younger players a taste of senior level and fast-track their development.
"Those guys have been attached to the juniors for a long time and getting the senior boys involved is a chance to get those guys ready for senior rugby," Paasi said.
"It's showing them what we want from them in senior grades."
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