The 2017 Group 10 reserve grade player of the year has linked with his junior club from Bathurst Panthers, the chance to play alongside his cousins Warren Williams and Desi Doolan also a contributing factor to him inking the deal.

The 23-year-old halfback will fill the void left by Cameron Breust, who has signed with Group 9’s Wagga Brothers.

“I was looking for a permanent first grade spot,” Bugg said.

“I had a pretty good year this year and I thought the next step is to play first grade.

“I’ve been in and out of the side at Panthers the last few seasons. They have really good depth across the park so one bad game and you were out. It’s hard to crack it.”

Bugg started juniors at Cowra before moving to Bathurst and joining Panthers in 2007.

With Breust’s departure, Cowra president Marc McLeish said the Magpies wanted a tough, Group 10 halfback.

“We identified we needed a halfback. A halfback who is familiar with Group 10 and can handle the heavier stuff in the middle,” McLeish said.

“He was probably a bit under used at Panthers, so when I got into the chair I thought I’d give him a call.

“It’s a homecoming for him having played juniors here until he was 14. He’s young. It might be a chance to secure him for a few seasons.”

Despite having not worked with Magpies’ newly appointed coach Steve Sutton, Bugg says he’s heard good things about the former Group 10 coach of the year.

“I’ve had people tell me he’s a great coach,” Bugg said before talking about his hopes for 2018.

“The goal would be to make the grand final. But I really want to get some wins together and play semi-final football.

”I’m really looking forward to having a good crack.”

His grandfather Joe Bugg was named in the Cowra Magpies’ Indigenous All Star Team announced during the club’s Indigenous Heritage Year in 2010.

The talent playmaker is not the only recruit that Sutton has made for 2018, with Josh Rainbow and Will Ingram putting pen to paper as well.

Sutton is looking to mentor Cowra to its first finals berth since he was last at the helm in 2014, when the Magpies went on to host the Group 10 grand finals, however were pipped by St Pat’s in the decider.

“He [Rainbow] is 25 in 2018 so he should really be hitting his straps. I expect him to be one of our best,” Sutton said. “We want to put the building blocks in place to make us competitive for a number of years and make the club more stable with seven or eight first graders locked down for the next few seasons.”