McDonald will lead the CAW club with Luke Styles after severing ties with rival club New City midway through last season.

In a further boost, star duo Kade Brown and Alex Popko have committed for the entire campaign and officials are close to landing an English import.

Former player Ross Dixon has also returned to Albury and is set to bolster the batting.

"Nick's got a really strong coaching background and we're excited about what he can bring," Styles said.

"He has a lot of experience.

"We improved a lot last season and Nick's arrival is another big step forward for our club."

Styles said virtually all of last season's side, which won eight matches, had committed for 2019-20.

"They are all fully invested," he said.

"We worked on building our culture last season and I'm confident we are heading in the right direction.

"We've been in touch with a few recruits as well so things are looking pretty good."

Albury narrowly missed finals this year after claiming the scalps of North Albury, Wodonga Raiders, East Albury, New City, St Patrick's and Tallangatta during the home and away series.

The Hoppers went on to defy the odds and defeat Lavington in the grand final after a best-of-three series.

It remains unclear if the same format will be used next season.