CAMPERDOWN forward Luke Molan hopes a new year will bring a fresh start to his football career in the black and white.
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The Hampden league Magpies have revealed the strongly-built full-forward will remain at Leura Oval for another season.
His commitment delivers the club another goalkicking option beside new assistant coach Dan Casey, Nick Bateman and Sam Gordon.
Molan, 29, endured an up-and-down winter in his first full season at Camperdown in a decade.
He copped two four-week suspensions — both times against South Warrnambool — and finished the campaign watching his teammates bow out of finals in straight sets.
But the former Melbourne-listed draftee, who also starred at Spotswood, said the tumultuous season was behind him and that he was keen to be part of any success.
He said season 2013 was not about redemption but understood the importance of playing solid football.
“Obviously my indiscretions last year weren’t the highlight. I copped a fair bit of flack over it and let my teammates down,” he said.
“The second one I’ll cop but the first one I didn’t do. But I wore that and I was devastated for the team and the boys at the end of the year.
“That was the hardest part, watching them go out in straight sets and not being able to help.”
Molan said he did not believe he owed Camperdown anything despite missing six weeks of football in 2012.
He still has two weeks to serve when 2013 gets under way and will want to avoid further sanction.
“I don’t feel like I owe them anything and I don’t think they feel like I owe them,” he said. “You play football for the love of it and not to owe anybody.
“I grew up there and said I’d come back and play there. I don’t think I owe Camperdown anything.
“Obviously I’m looking forward to being back and having some success.
“I love being back here and playing footy. I live 50 metres from the footy ground and grew up at the club.”
Camperdown coach Bernard Moloney is upbeat about retaining Molan.
Moloney revealed former Magpies onballer Damian Pemberton would return to the club after a stint at SWDFNL club Westerns.
Alex Place, Charlie Bradshaw and Luke Mahony will make long-awaited returns from serious injuries.
But former Colac and District league best and fairest Khan Beckett is yet to sign, despite training with the club.
Lew Kelly medallist Marcus Powling will fill the ruck void left by Heath Moloney, who is unlikely to feature until the second half of the season due to overseas travel.
“I think we’ll back what we’ve got. We’d all love to have a Levi Dare-type players running around (in the ruck),” Moloney said.
“I’m prepared to back Marcus in that and then we’ve got to win the ball when it hits the ground.
“We’ve got the forwards to kick to.
“We realise we fell away badly at the end of the year and we’ve got to work harder and earn the respect of other teams.”