“Obviously last season it was pretty well known man-on-man, pretty defensive footy and no real excitement,” he said.

“Going into 2019 we’ll play high risk, high intensity, looking to travel both ways.

“It will probably look a lot more modern and that’s what we need to do because we’re young, quick and fit.

“We don’t have those great big blokes that we probably need, we’re looking at using our fitness and I suppose our smarts with our coaching panel to get the boys where they need to be.”

Muller have two-time Albury Morris medallist Tim Scott, former Lavington assistant coach Brendan Roberson, ex-North premiership player and North Melbourne defender Mark Hilton and highly-rated junior mentor Paul Azzi in the box.

He became the league’s youngest stand-alone coach when appointed in late September after turning 22 the previous month.

The ruckman-forward was an assistant to co-coaches Clint Gilson and Chris Schmidt last season.

West Adelaide premiership captain Schmidt was one of the club’s few high-profile players in 2018 and a number have left, including the co-coach, Richmond VFL player Shaun Mannagh and long-time star Dan Leslie.

The Hoppers have signed Albury fringe player Tristan Mann and Riverina duo Jackson Weidemann and Isaac Walton.

“I know there’s probably been a little bit of a pattern forming where we’ve lost a couple but, in all honesty, I reckon we’re in a much better position because when I took on the job, our greatest improvement’s going to be by the players we’ve got (internally),” he said.

However, Muller says he’s recruited a gun.

“We have signed a higher profile guy, but I can’t release it until he’s told his club,” he said.

“He’s played VFL.”