Last year: 1st

Gains: David Price (Heathcote), Luke Adams (Osborne), Connor Meredith (Lavington), Charlie Williams (Rand-Walbundrie-Walla), Cody Mannagh (North Albury), James Currie (Hurstbridge)

Losses: Ben and Josh Lloyd (North Albury), Todd Miller (Rand-Walbundrie-Walla), Rhys Hensel (Peninsula), Adam Way, Daniel Kannenberg

Prospects: While the reigning premier has lost some quality due to departures and salary cap pressure, they could afford to. Thurgoona was daylight ahead of second-placed Mitta United last season and is still the side to beat. Ben Lloyd is a massive loss with the young gun returning to North Albury, but the Bulldogs still have plenty of stars in reserve like Jayden Kotzur, Sam Cross and Kade and Aydan Brown. Deserve early flag favouritism.

Prediction: 1st

Coach: Adam Mudra

Last year: 5th

Gains:  Tim Kindellan, Andrew Cardwell, Caleb Beattie (Wodonga)

Losses: Peter Winnett (Henty), Jack Andrew (overseas), Tory Ziems (year off)

Prospects: New coach Adam Mudra will ask his players for one thing this season  – improvement. They were comprehensively beaten in last year’s elimination final and look a similar side on paper. “All you can ask is for improvement so that’s where I will be coming from this year,” Mudra said. “It looks like a tight competition so it won’t be easy.” The Hawks were decimated by injuries on occasions last season and only need a better run to feature prominently. 

Prediction: 2nd

Coach: Mitch Exton

Last year: 3rd

Gains: Aaron Craufurd (Darwin), Cam Lucas (Perth), Matt Dalbosco (Balwyn), John Peers (Blighty), Joel Newnham, Jack Price

Losses: Peter Cook (Culcairn), Jordan Wolff (Benalla), Josh Star and Adam Elias (Lavington), Danny Demarte, Kyle and Matt McNamara and Jarrod Williams (Corryong)

Prospects: Barnawartha look set to slip right back to the pack. The Tigers have lost more than 150 goals with the departure of Wolff, Cook, Williams and Elias and it’s difficult to see where they are going to find them. Still have some potency but will battle to match the leading teams in the competition.

Prediction: 10th

Coach: Damien Wilson

Last year: 4th

Gains:  Damien and Cameron Wilson, Tom Renshaw, Ryan Rose (CDHBU), Nathan Waite (Moyhu), John Spencer and Tyson Neander (Holbrook), Cameron Barrett (Northern Blues), Cody Parker (overseas), Liam Grantham and Sam Fiedler

Losses: Marty Brennan (Lavington), Drew Cameron (Mitta United), Josh Spencer (Henty), Ian Kay (retired), Bobby Griffiths (Geelong)

Prospects: Numbers don’t always translate to wins, but the Cats have been getting 50 to training and that’s hard to match in country football. Rookie coach Damien Wilson believes Rutherglen has more depth in the midfield and could press into the top-three. “I think our midfield is stronger,” Wilson said. Rutherglen held a training camp at Balranald and played matches against Hume league clubs Jindera and Brocklesby-Burrumbuttock.

Prediction: 4th

Coach: Brett Skinner, Jamie Seymour

Last year: 7th

Gains: Nick Brockley (Brock-Burrum), John Webb and Joel Barclay (Corowa-Rutherglen), Tyson and Sam Burdon, Alex Wallis, Cody Keenes and Cody Milne (CDHBU), Michael Kreun (Moyhu), Ben Nicholson (Milawa), James Smith (Northern Territory), Lloyd Grantham (Geelong)

Losses: Cody Hadden (work), Wade Goodwin (overseas)

Prospects: Wahgunyah’s plan of targeting former players has paid huge dividends for the Lions. With the exception of Corowa-Rutherglen ruckman John Webb, their recruits have all played junior football for the club. Webb will bolster the big-man stocks while Nick Brockley should provide the focal point that was sorely missing last season. “We wanted a forward and ruckman as I think our leg speed is good,” Wahgunyah coach Brett Skinner said. “I’m really happy with our recruiting but it’s a tight comp and we aren’t getting ahead of ourselves.”

Prediction: 5th

Coach: Brent Newton

Last year: 10th

Gains: Brent Newton and Tim Allan (Milawa), Josh Roman (King Valley), Danyl Woods (Wodonga Raiders), Nathan Hooper and Corey Southern (Whorouly), Tom Lehmann, John Phibbs, Steve Phibbs, Jackson Lappin, Glenn Wood

Losses: Mark Doolan, Ash van Klaveren and Caleb Boxall (Wodonga Raiders), Brad Hibberson (Albury), Jayden Quinlivan (RWW Giants), Dale Lappin (Murray Magpies), Bodie Hibberson

Prospects: Mark Doolan headlines the departures for the Swans, but the club has brought in plenty of quality in return. Newton will boost Chiltern’s ruck stocks and look to start his first year as a coach in positive fashion. “It’s definitely been a good move for me and will develop me as a player and an individual,” he said. “There’s definitely some good players running around.”

Prediction: 7^th

Coach: Jay Dale, Lee Dale

Last year: 8th

Gains: Jay and Lee Dale (Beechworth), Jayden Carroll and Nathanael Dudley (Myrtleford), James Greenwood and Arden Greiner (Bullioh), Clayton Mosman (Border Walwa), Ethan Roberts (Kew), Harry McBurnie (Tungamah), Nathan Ford (Wodonga), Bryce Rafferty (Wodonga Raiders)

Losses: Brenton Newbold, Greg Newbold and Daniel Cassidy (Greta), Daniel Atwell and Joseph Wilkinson (Eastern Football League), 

Prospects: The Roos had seven wins last season, but have added plenty of quality in the off-season to suggest they will better that mark. “We’ve brought back a fair few local guys that played juniors at the club who have learnt different things to bring back,” Yackandandah co-coach Lee Dale said. Dale added a return to his home club with brother Jay had been “a long time coming”. “The club didn’t have a lot of depth and put a lot of young blokes through the senior side,” he said. “Those young guys now have 10 to 18 senior games under their belts, so it’s about getting another year under their belt and seeing improvement from last year.”

Prediction: 6th

Coach: Mark Dicketts

Last year: 2nd

Gains: Drew Cameron (Rutherglen), David Chan (Jindera), Daniel Hales (Federal), Eliott Bongetti (Wodonga Saints), Kyle Maynard, Josh Lee, Nick Gilbert and Ned McCormack (Caufield)

Losses: Simon Hillier (Henty), Jarrod Groupic (retired), Brenton Olsen (overseas), Joe Hodgkin (North Albury), Ethan O’Donnell (Tarrawingee)

Prospects: Mitta’s main priority was to maintain a large chunk of the list which got it to a grand final last year. “I think we’ve got the best coach in the league, so when you put those together I think we’re ahead of last year,” Mitta United recruitment manager Phil Packer said. “Jarrod Groupic is obviously a big loss, but we’ve got some kids coming through. “Unfortunately we lost another good one in Joe Hodgkin, but you can’t stop progression.”

Prediction: 3rd

Coach: Sam Livingstone

Last year: 6th

Gains: Sam Livingstone and Leigh Marshall (Wodonga), Joel and Daniel O’Connell (Albury), Harry Forelli (BB Saints), Connor Jones and Nick Guiney (Jindera), Mitch Seaton (Albury Thunder), Matt Thomas, Brady McKimmie

Losses: Aaron Baker (Holbrook), James Breen and Rhett Thompson (Henty), Tim Brook (Howlong), Kaine Parsons, Rory Quinn, Jacob Wood and Joel O’Reilly (Wodonga), Jesse Wellington (Jindera),

Prospects: New coach Sam Livingstone admitted his return home to Tallangatta was daunting at first, but is now on the right track. “It doesn’t look like we’ve got the calibre there, but they’re certainly capable,” Livingstone said. “We’ll hopefully surprise a few teams and have a good year. “It was a bit daunting at first with who left, but you start to get blokes on board and if we get these other four or five we’re looking at going from the middle back up towards the pointy end.”

Prediction: 9th

Coach: Troy Vennix

Last year: 12th

Gains: Zack Pleming and Joel Broadley (Wodonga Raiders), Sam Huxtable (North Albury), Ryan Smith (Barnawartha), Toby Bridgeman and Mark Fabris (Bullioh), Bart Hanrahan and Brad Potter (Rutherglen), Broady Mills (Mitta United), Simon McCleish and Norman Barlow (Culcairn), Rory Doolan, Peter Dowling

Losses: Matthew Bergowicz and Royce Gregory (Border Walwa), Martin White, Jarrod White

Prospects: Some key recruits including former Wodonga Raiders midfielder Zack Pleming will be massive boosts for the struggling Saints. “At the very least, we’re going to be very competitive this year,” Saints coach Troy Vennix said. “He’s (Pleming) a big loss for (Daryn) Cresswell, but the bloke’s got aspirations to coach in the future. “This year is about stepping it up and getting towards that more professional side that we want to be.”

Prediction: 11th

Coach: Nic Barnes

Last year: 9th

Gains: Dylan Pritchard (Milawa), Kylin Morey (BB Saints),  Michael Voight, Ben Hall and Corey Rochow (Cudgewa), Jesse Dale (Howlong), Ben Amery and Bryce Mummery (Myrtleford), John Cossar (North Albury), Ryan Mee (Murray Magpies), John Sartori (Glenrowan), Todd Salmon

Losses: Jay and Lee Dale (Yackandandah), John Forbes, Warwick Williams, Matthew Ferguson

Prospects: Beechworth coach Nic Barnes admits there is more pressure on him this year than his first two seasons at the helm. “It will be my third year (as coach) so I’ve got to make finals at least,” Barnes said. “We definitely hope to improve and play finals footy. “We struggled in our forward line during parts of last year kicking goals, so we’ll have a decent forward line this year and should improve. “We feel evenly-matched with everyone.”

Prediction: 8th

Coach: Ben Mitchell

Last year: 11th

Gains: Jack Neil (Federal), Josh and Jake Vinge and Jacob Schliebs (Cudgewa), Harley Melrose (Wodonga Raiders)

Losses: Zach Peake (EDFL)

Prospects: Coach Ben Mitchell believes the Bombers’ ability to maintain the majority of its playing group will prove to be beneficial. “A few blokes have got a couple of niggling injuries and might be late starters, but we haven't had too much come in and go out,” he said. Injury-plagued trio Tim Prime, Ben Rigoni and Jake Pronk should all show improvement. “Our playing list is very locally-based, which is something we’re excited about and proud of,” Mitchell said. “We’ll try and get the most out of what we’ve got locally and add a few to it this year and a few more down the track.”

Prediction: 12^th

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