By Mark Cashman It’s been slim pickings at Concord Oval for the best part of a decade but with the “new normal” Shute Shield season just around the corner there is definitely a nice glow about the place. Wests finished second from last at the end of the home and away season in 2019 with four wins and two draws but that didn’t tell the story of the upheaval at the club throughout the season where there were very real fears about the Pirates’ ability to remain solvent. Tough times indeed, but as first grade coach Mark Gudmunson reports things are starting to turn. “At the end of the 2018 season we lost 13 of the 15 starters in first grade for a number of reasons,” Gudmonson said. “So our aim at the end of last season was to retain the players that we did have on board and then build from there. “It’s been a bit weird with training restricted but the feeling within the group is they want to get out there on the field and see where they are at.” A