Last year: Fourth (11-7)

Gains: Darcy Melksham (Wangaratta), George Sandral (Billabong Crows), Jack Andison (Rutherglen), Jordan Lavis (Tocumwal), Paddy Lavis (Lavington), Nathan Morris (King Valley), Russell Anderson (returning), Jimmy Hanrahan (returning)

Losses: Ben Landry (injury)

Most recent finals appearance: 2023

Most recent flag: None in Hume league

Captains: Nathan Rhodes and Andrew Phibbs

Who starts the season flag favourites and why?: Osborne. The Tigers were the standout side in the competition last year and simply dominated the grand final. They have loads of depth and I expect them to be right up there again with a new coaching unit, despite losing their fair share of stars over the off-season.

Your likely top-six?: In no particular order - Osborne, Holbrook, Jindera, Howlong, RWW Giants, Lockhart and of course us. I believe we will be fighting for a top-six spot.

Which rival club is likely to be the biggest improver?: Based on last year's results, Jindera will be a team that will no doubt improve. Joel Mackie boasts a phenomenal grand final record of nine flags and will no doubt have the Bulldogs primed to go deep into the September action. Mackie has also proven to be a recruiting magnet at the kennel and has been able to add a lot more depth compared to last year.

Best player in the competition?: Clay Thomas from RWW Giants didn't get enough credit for his season in 2023. Thomas impressed me with his on field leadership and composure and I rate him as one of the best in the competition with his ability to own a game.

Best recruit in the competition over the off-season?: It's hard to go past Luke Garland joining Jindera from Lavington. Years of top-level experience and a premiership captain, Garland's going to be tough to stop when up and going and is a competitive beast.

Which recruit at your club excites you the most and why?: George Sandral has been super impressive so far and hasn't missed a beat. I'm stoked to have him as a playing assistant coach and I have no doubt he is a future senior coach in the making. Having George as an on-field leader, as well as Mick Collins, will be crucial to our success and guiding the young list that we have.

Who has been the standout at pre-season training so far?: Darcy Melksham has been excellent, particularly his training standards and how hard he pushes himself to get better.

Mick Collins has been showing up the young boys in the running, Benjamin Button like.

How tough was recruiting this off-season compared to previous experiences?: It's always a grind but fortunately for us, we didn't have to cast the net out too far as all our recruits so far have been basically locals or connected to the club in some way. Like all clubs, there are still some conversations we're having and hopefully we can land a couple more before the season starts.

What have the numbers been like at pre-season training?: It's always tricky, particularly before Christmas with harvest. But we've been really impressed with the numbers so far, especially compared to previous years. There's some real buy-in around the playing group and we're counting down the sessions until our first scratch match on March 16.

What are your expectations this season?: We're aiming to finish as high as we can, simple as that. We've gone out and recruited quite well, particularly in areas that we struggled in last year, so we need to aim high. The experience of playing in a final last year, even though we were disappointed with the result, should drive our list forward in a positive way. It's all about improving every session and putting ourselves in the best position to perform well, particularly early with our draw. There's some genuine excitement around the club and the boys are looking forward to the challenges ahead and hopefully getting some early scalps.

WE SAY: CDHBU has arguably had its most productive off-season since joining the Hume league with the hype-meter slowly rising over the summer with each additional signing. There are rumours emerging from the Power camp that club stalwarts Paul Rippingale and 'Darkie' Collins haven't been this excited since dual premiership coach Jarrod 'Chalky' Hanrahan held the premiership cup aloft after their most recent flag in 2007 in the Coreen league. And while coach Kyle Docherty will be keen to keep a lid on the expectation, the hype surrounding the merged identity is warranted. After making finals for the first time since 2016 last year, the Power have added the necessary class to become the finals force they desperately crave to become. Darcy Melksham, George Sandral and Jordan Lavis all boast previous O&M experience and should dominate at the lower standard of the Hume league. Jack Andison is coming off a breakout season with Rutherglen after winning the best and fairest and is another recruit who should thrive in the Hume league. Jimmy Hanrahan is also a dual best and fairest with the Cats in 2021-22 and has all the credentials to have a big impact after deciding to return to his junior club. The two biggest queries on the Power's finals credentials is a much tougher draw compared to last season and if they have enough firepower to kick a winning score against the other finals contenders. Ryan Beveridge and Corey Smith booted 100 goals between them last season but the Power often struggled to kick a winning score against quality opposition if either of them was well held. The merged identity also has to play likely finalists Osborne, Holbrook, Jindera, Howlong and RWW Giants twice, making their task of reaching finals again a lot more difficult than last season. But considering the list that Docherty has at his disposal, it would be a major disappointment if the Power didn't improve on last year's performance and win at least one final.

PREDICTION: Fourth