Beechworth and Tarrawingee take part in summer practice match

While most clubs have wound down for the Christmas break, the Bushrangers took the unusual step of playing four 15-minute quarters in 30 plus degrees.

Bushrangers co-coach Brayden Carey said the hit-out was designed to reward the younger players for their efforts so far over the pre-season.

"Tom Cartledge (co-coach) and Xavier Norden (Tarrawingee coach) are good mates and decided to organise a bit of a hit-out," Carey said.

"It was a bit of reward for effort for the young fellas that have been training for the past eight weeks.

"Just to give them a bit of a run and to see where we are at with it all.

"We have got a few new faces around the group and it gives you a gauge of where everyones at."

Both sides had more than 25-players take part.

The Bushrangers have been one of the most active clubs over the off-season after appointing Cartledge and Carey as co-coaches.

Their appointment has sparked a recruiting blitz with Brent Ryan, Mitch Anderson, Lachlan Armstrong, Dayne Carey, Ryan Mee, Ed Cartledge and Jake Biddulph joining the Bushrangers.

The Bushrangers have failed to make finals since winning their most recent flag in 2010.

However, they are expected to be one of the big improvers next year.

Carey said Armstrong was the pick of the recruits that took part in the match.

Armstrong is a key forward who played in a flag with Rosebud in the Mornington Peninsula league.

"Lachlan Armstrong played well and kicked a few goals," he said.

"We have got a young group who have been exposed to senior football who we are hoping can take the next step this season.

"The conditions were obviously hot and the ground at Tarrawingee had just been mowed and it was a bit of a rough old deck to play on.

"We got through unscathed which was the main thing."

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Carey said the hype-meter at the Bushrangers was starting to rise after a decade in the finals wilderness.

"There's certainly a buzz around the football community up there," he said.

"We are getting good numbers on the track which helps.

"It's a youthful group and that next generation of players are coming through.

"As a co-coach, it's exciting times."

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