Wodonga hasn't finished in the top five since 2009, but the club's improvement last year and the arrival of former NEAFL stars Angus Baker and Alex Smout, as well as the full-time inclusion of ex-Brisbane midfielder Josh Clayton, had a handful of opposition mentors at the season launch on Wednesday night buoyant the Bulldogs will break the run.

"Yeah, absolutely, they've recruited well and if they keep on improving like they did last year, absolutely they can," Yarrawonga's Mark Whiley suggested.

Interestingly, Wodonga will be one of the realistic finals contenders the Pigeons will be battling for September action.

Whiley is just 16 months older than fellow Finley product and Wodonga coach Jordan Taylor, who has proved a recruiting magnet since he took over in October, 2020.

"Yes, he's a great character, I've got full faith in what Jordan will do there, it's looking positive," he added.

North Albury is not expected to push for finals but, after a winless year, the Hoppers will be just desperate to continue the improvement they showed, particularly in the second half of the season.

And second-year coach Luke Norman had firsthand experience of how far the Bulldogs also improved during the season and maintains they can break into what will be an ultra competitive top five.

"I think so, they've recruited well, 'JT's' a very good coach and they beat us by 180 points last year," he confirmed.

"They've got some young kids coming through, we know the junior program's been pretty good, I think all the signs tell us they'll be pushing it to play finals football."

While the Bulldogs have landed their best signings in years in Baker and Smout, the fact that so many other clubs above them last year have also snared top liners, means there's every chance those name players at the top five clubs will, potentially, cancel each other out.

It means the incumbent and younger players will need to lift again, it Wodonga is to snap a 13-year streak.

Teenager Josh Mathey became the club's youngest best and fairest winner at just 17, but the midfield talent has taken another giant leap, including Michael Gibbons (Yarrawonga) from Carlton's senior team.

Relatively unheralded players last year in Adam Jorgensen and Goulburn Valley product Charlie Morrison surprised many outside the club with their development, with the latter finishing third in the best and fairest, behind Mathey and ex-SANFL forward Cody Szust.

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However, no team has a tougher opening fortnight with the Bulldogs facing last year's runaway top outfits Albury and Wangaratta.

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