Complex sentence: After South East Melbourne folded, Mackinnon was signed by the Townsville Crocodiles at the beginning of the 1999 season, and it was not long before Townsville became serious title contenders.
Split into simpler sentences: After South East Melbourne folded, Mackinnon was signed by the Townsville Crocodiles at the beginning of the 1999 season. And it was not long before Townsville became serious title contenders.