The underdogs ended Albury's hopes of a fourth straight title, but then blew it with poor first quarters in the grand final re-match the following year and against Lavington in 2019.

We all know a lot has happened, far more important than footy in the last 12 months, but there's no motivation like losing a grand final and much of it is because of one bad quarter.

*ARRIVALS*

Cam Potter (Milawa), Frazer Judd (Tarrawingee), Ben Reid (Collingwood), Brendan Gamze (Milawa), Chris Knowles (Moyhu), Daniel Sharrock (Pascoe Vale), Abraham Ankers (Waratah, NT), Callum Moore (Carlton)

*DEPARTURES*

Nick Richards (Heidelberg), Lachie Hourigan (Myrtleford), Daniel McCormick, Jack Amery, Daniel Witham (Tarrawingee), Willson Mack (Brock-Burrum), Luke Morgan (Centrals Trinity Beach)

*VFL-LISTED*

Brad Melville (Richmond)

THE LATEST:

BEN REID HAS SPOKEN OF THE CLUB'S YOUNG TALENT, BUT UP TO A THIRD OF THE SIDE WILL BE 30-PLUS. COULD THE PIES DO AN ALBURY WITH AN OVER-RELIANCE ON THE OLDER PLAYERS?

It's definitely a possibility, but the bulk of Wangaratta's best in that 2019 grand final loss were in their 20s, so it's different to the Tigers where the older players were still the superstars. Joe Richards is a two-time best and fairest and is only 21, Daniel Sharrock missed half a year and still finished runner-up in 2018, Jesse Smith was sensational in that loss. Admittedly, Matt Kelly (33) was their best that day, but you feel the Pies have the balance right.

IN THAT 2017 GRAND FINAL UPSET OVER ALBURY, THE PIES HAD ONE OF THE BEST FOUR-PRONGED ATTACKING UNITS WE'VE SEEN IN YEARS IN BIGS MICHAEL NEWTON, JOSH PORTER AND TOM WHITTLESEA, ALONG WITH GOAL SNEAK BEN SPEIGHT. ALBURY HAD NO ANSWER, SO COULD THIS YEAR'S UNIT (NEWTON, BEN REID, PORTER AND SPEIGHT) BE BETTER?

On paper, yes, but it's probably hard to expect Newton, who's 34 next month, to tear the competition apart, given his run of injuries. Porter too won the 2107 preliminary final when the game looked lost, but he struggled in 2019. However, both are super fit and at their lowest weight in years. If Newton, Porter and Reid remain injury-free though, that tall timber will be unstoppable.

WHAT WILL ABRAHAM ANKERS BRING TO THE MIDFIELD?

The missing link. As good as the Pies have been in the last three seasons, they needed more on-ball class. They've got it in the Northern Territory Thunder best and fairest.

Q: You retired from the AFL last year after three years dogged by injury, but it wasn't just soft tissue problems as much of the reporting has indicated?

A: In 2018 I had a couple of bad knee injuries, so it wasn't soft tissue then and my knee flared up again in 2019, and it got to the point where I got surgery again, so a lot of those last couple of years wasn't so much soft tissue (Reid had three or four surgeries in his 14-year AFL career).

Q: Why did you call it quits from the AFL at only 31?

A: I retired from AFL because I was mentally sick of it, more than anything, I was just over it. I wasn't enjoying footy and thought I'd look to the next stage of our life (Reid is married to Erin). I only started to think about pulling the boots on again after talking to Matty Kelly and a couple of the boys in 'Wang'.

Q: Other AFL players have spoken about the pressure, but for a lot of kids it's the world's best life.

A: If you love Aussie Rules growing up, it's an unbelievable lifestyle and I was so lucky to have been involved. But there's the pressure that comes with it. From the first day you're drafted and going to a big club like Collingwood, you learnt pretty quickly about pressure. You're constantly reviewed, every single day there's, 'what can you do better? What can't you do better'?