“Even going into the season we identified we were short of big forwards,” Carse said.

“Obvouisly we will target some key forwards for next year, we are definitelty short of some marking options.”

Beau James was the leading goalkicker on the day for the Magpies with three while Eddie Lucas and Carse kicked two each. All three are medium-sized options that are finding themselves trying to create scoring opportunities against bigger opponents. While the Magpies’ finals hopes are now all but gone, the future is looking bright at Leura Oval. Jack Williams continues to stamp himself as one of the best young players in the competition with another impressive performance in defence for the Magpies. Lachlan Bone was another emerging player who stood out in just his ninth senior game.