MACQUARIE veteran Jason Green is hoping it will not take another mammoth year from him with the bat for the Blues to be competitive when the Whitney Cup season kicks off this Saturday.
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The 2013-14 grand finalists have a new captain and some new cattle in their top grade squad this season, and while Green will once again pull on a baggy blue cap he hopes some of the club's younger brigade will rise under rookie skipper Kieran Brien.
Mudgee duo Steve Knight and James O'Brien have returned to play in their hometown competition while off-spinning all-rounder Dan Medway and young gun Wade Burrowes will also not be playing in 2014-15.
Green, who amassed five centuries last year on his way to winning last year's first grade player of the year award and was the inaugural Barry Hildebrandt Medallist, said this season would be a chance to rebuild but admitted he was keeping the faith.
"We played a trial against Parkes a couple of weeks ago and had them 5/70 but let them make 170. We made 150 in reply so it wasn't that bad and it's something to work on," Green said.
"We've lost a few players. We knew that Knighty wasn't coming back but I didn't hear anything from James O'Brien which was disappointing.
"Dan Medway said all along he wasn't playing and Wade Burrowes is going to Canberra. But we won second grade last year so I hope the guys that come up will take the opportunity to thrive at the next level."
Macquarie commence their season with a two-day clash against Souths at No.2 starting this Saturday, and Green believes the Hornets will be a good benchmark for his side to compare themselves against.
"Every year you hear about teams losing guys and gaining guys, and from what I've heard I think this year will be pretty even across the board," he said.
"We won't be as strong as last year, Rugby won't have Ben Taylor early and Ben Patterson leaves at Christmas, Newtown will be much the same as last year, so will Souths, and CYMS will probably improve a bit with guys they have picked up.
"That makes it pretty even so to be playing Souths in our first game will be good. Matt Finlay reckons he's not playing so we'll work on him being there on Saturday and they have Tim Berry, who is the best all-rounder in Dubbo.
"If we can come out and put in a good performance first up then hopefully it will help KB as captain and help the guys that are stepping up to first grade as well."
