THE Mandurah Magic have retained the service of many of their key players for 2015 including Casey Mihovilovich, Taylor Mullenax and Paul Hafford, and will be hoping to have built enough around them to again have their women's and men's teams make the playoffs.

The Magic women are coming off a 2014 season where they finished the regular season in seventh position before losing in the quarter finals to the Lakeside Lightning while the men finished in sixth spot and also bowed out in the quarters losing to the Perth Redbacks.

Both Mandurah teams had good years in 2014 but couldn’t quite take that next step to be a title threat with the Magic women fading a little in the second of the season and the men dealing with some issues during the playoffs that saw them end up losing to the Redbacks.

However, the organisation has settled during the off-season and now are looking to have both teams make the playoffs for the second straight year with last season already being just the fourth time they have managed that since the women's team began competing in 1996.

Any team that still has Mihovilovich will naturally be around the mark as well. It's not just the sheer numbers of her 18.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.6 steals a game either that make her a standout performer, but the leadership and experience she provides.

On top of her presence, the Magic have a talented group of players still to hit the court in 2015 and there's every reason to expect West Coast Waves rookie Emma Klasztorny to go to the next level this season after her time in the WNBL over the 2014/15 campaign.

The Magic men have retained the services of captain Taylor Mullenax and Paul Hafford so automatically that means they will be competitive with Mullenax having averaged 27.2 points and 10.6 rebounds a game last season and Hafford 20.4 points, 8.0 boards and 5.9 assists.

With Rhett and Brendan Della remaining on board as well as Trent Gerovich and Ben Smith, then it's naturally a very strong looking squad.

Add in Jarrad Jackson as replacement for Daniel Thomas who missed much of the 2014 through an Achilles injury and has since returned to Geraldton, and the Magic have every right to expect to play in the post-season again in 2015.

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY
MEN

STEPHEN CHARLTON
Change of coach, DT out and Jackson in. Same imports back and Big Red still on board. The Dellas and Gerovich round out this squad. Good depth and a well known quantity. I think this is either too high (as some told me) or too low. Coach Kyle will have plenty to work with but is age and wear and tear catching up.

My Prediction: 8th

MATT CECINS
Jarrad Jackson comes in to replace Daniel Thomas and will be a good fit on the offensive end of the floor for the Magic. They are a well- balanced side with two of the best big men in the league in Taylor Mullenax and Ben Smith.

My Prediction: 7th

CHRIS PIKE
Returning imports Taylor Mullenax and Paul Hafford will give this team what it needs to stay competitive this year, however, they might not be deep enough to compete with the top teams.

My Prediction: 9th

WOMEN

CRAIG MANSFIELD
Started fast last year thanks to a long preseason but form flattened later in the year. It was rumoured they had picked up Harberts from the Waves but she has returned home. Look for a similar pattern to last year with import Davis replacing Dunham but with question marks over the availability of Thomas and Boston it is hard to see them being a serious contender.

My Prediction: 7th

MATT CECINS
The gap between third and fourth will be extremely wide this year. Due to the high turnover of playing personnel at Cockburn, Stirling and Lakeside I believe Mandurah will finish in fourth. One signing to watch will be Davis, who attended the University of Auburn, who is tall with a wide skill set to match.

My Prediction: 4th

CHRIS PIKE
Milo's decision to play on in 2015 is a big one and combined with the talent the Magic have coming through including West Coast Waves rookie Emma Klasztorny, I see them making the eight this year.

My Prediction: 6th