Fresh from guiding the Cowra Magpies Youth League side to an undefeated premiership, Marc McLeish has committed to another season at the helm as the club prepares to defend its title in 2027. While the success of the past season has created high expectations, McLeish admits returning as coach comes with a different type of pressure. After producing the benchmark team of the competition last year, the Magpies will enter the new season as the side every opponent wants to beat. "I am little bit apprehensive," McLeish said. "On the back of an undefeated premiership, the pressure's there because now we're the team that's expected to perform." “Every other team is going to want to knock us off, and probably off pretty early." Despite achieving the ultimate success in just his second season as coach, McLeish said he had originally viewed the role as a longer-term project. "I sort of went in with a three-year mentality to the coaching role, thinking we could build a premiership side in three years, and we managed to do it in two," he said. "I'd like to finish what I started and see that through. “They're also just a really good group of kids to be around." The coach believes the foundation of last year's success was not necessarily talent alone, but the willingness of his players to embrace a disciplined and structured style of football. McLeish said convincing young players to buy into a defence-first approach can often be challenging, particularly when it lacks the flair typically associated with attacking football. "The most pleasing thing for me was that they really bought into the structure," he said. "Young players can find it hard to stick to that sort of game plan, but they understood that kick, chase and defend football wins games. "It might not always be exciting, but they saw the value in it and committed to it." The Magpies will retain a strong core of players from their premiership-winning squad, with several members of the team still eligible for Youth League football after featuring as first-year players last season. However, McLeish said the squad faces a fresh challenge this year after the club did not field an under-16s side this year. As a result, there will not be a large group of younger players ready to graduate into Youth League ranks, reducing the depth available to the coaching staff. "We won't have that same crop of players coming through," McLeish said. "Our bench won't be as deep as it was last year, and we probably won't have that luxury of numbers and competition for spots. "Because of that, we've got some work to do around fitness and making sure our players can handle longer minutes on the field." Last season's squad depth allowed the Magpies to rotate players regularly throughout matches, helping maintain intensity and energy. McLeish expects the team will need to adapt this year, with players likely to shoulder a greater workload during games. Player development will remain a major focus for the coach, who sees Youth League as an important pathway between junior and senior football. With no reserve-grade competition available locally, McLeish said the jump from under-18s football to first grade remains significant and requires careful management. "The step into senior football is a big one," he said. "There's some big boys out there and it's still a men's competition. "A lot of our players are capable, but we don't want to throw them in too early and have them get hurt or lose confidence. "We want to make sure they're completely ready and ease them into that next level." Despite the challenges ahead, McLeish remains confident the defending premiers can continue their development. Rather than dwelling on last year's achievement, he wants the side to focus on improving in all areas of its game. "There's always room for improvement," he said. "We can always be better." With a premiership already secured and a talented core of players returning, the Magpies will head into 2027 carrying the expectations that come with being reigning champions. However, McLeish’s focus is on building long-term success rather than relying on the achievements of a single standout season.
