It's been a mixed off-season for the beaten Hume league grand finalists, who have kept most of their key men with the exception of Nico Sedgwick (Lavington) and Willson Mack (Wangaratta).

The Saints are hoping to bolster their list with players from outside the region but so far it's been a waiting game for coach Stevens.

"I've spent a lot of time on the phone and sat through a couple of meetings and interviews to try to fill the void we've been left with," he said.

"While we haven't had a heap of success in getting some of those players over the line, we're still confident we'll be able to get one or two before the season starts.

ALSO IN SPORT:

"I've spoken to a couple of players from out of town - within 100km - who are involved with family farms and have situations that may have them coming back to the area.

"There's a player who hasn't lived in the area before but he's considering travelling, depending on a lot of other things; uni applications, employment in the area.

"Another contact of a contact, who was living just above Sydney, is moving to the area and whether or not he continues his footy career is up in the air.

"It's a tricky one when a lot of things are factored in now like player points and salary caps.

"It does make it hard but when you're talking to quality players you never close the door on them.

"If it's circumstances like this that push it back a few months, it is what it is.

"I'm really happy with the list of players we had this year that have recommitted.

"I'm content and confident with that group, that every single player can improve five or 10 per cent, so collectively that's a win for us."

Premiers in four of the last seven years, the Saints suffered a 36-point defeat to Osborne in last season's showpiece.

"It was one of those days when, without saying we had a lot of passengers, we didn't fire shots that we did a fortnight earlier and it pretty much summed up our year," he said.

"We had really good patches but also quiet patches where we were perhaps a little bit complacent.

"Sometimes, in a club like Brock-Burrum that has won so many, perhaps they needed a grand final loss or a situation like that where we all have to feel the hurt."