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Magpies Crusaders coach Tom Ballantyne feels his squad is âsix months aheadâ of where it was this time last year following Saturday nightâs interclub hitout at Magpies.
The state league club pit the senior squad against its best youth players in an in-house contest that left all involved feeling positive about the clubâs 2021 prospects.
âThat was really impressive tonight,â Ballantyne said in the wash.
âWe wrote four things on the board tonight: intention, effort, energy and passing. Those were the basics of what we talked about and they all came out.â
It was the first chance for new faces like Sam Skinner and Josh Addo to prove their wares in a simulated match environment and the early signs were promising.
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From afar, Ballantyne would critique the young fullbackâs game with an eye to 2021 and Dunnâs eventual return home to Sologinkin Oval.
This week that return became a reality.
After a run of six goals in four games for Redlands United last season, Dunnâs star was on the rise and a host of clubs after his signature.
Able to be deployed as a fullback, wing back or out-and-out attacker, the 23 year old quickly became an attractive prospect.
But when Dunn left Mackay to pursue his football dream, for a second time, he did so with every intention of returning, a better player than before, to Mackayâs black and white.
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After his stellar display for Redlands United at the back end of last season, Lathan Dunn was a man in demand by a number of NPL Queensland clubs.
So it was telling that the 23 year old chose to return home to Mackay and link up with Magpies Crusaders for 2021.
The club officially announced Dunn’s return via Facebook today.
Goals came thick and fast for the fullback turned striker, who was forced into an unfamiliar attacking role when Redlands’ goalscoring options dried up at the pointy end of the season.
In round 17, he scored his first goal for Redlands against Eastern Suburbs – the start of a month-long goalscoring stretch which ended with a hat-trick against Brisbane Roar Youth on November 8.