Josh Kable and Cody Hewat have joined Holbrook from Dederang-Mt Beauty

The duo played a combined 159 senior games for the Bombers and were both named in the Tallangatta & District League team of the year.

But Kable and Hewat will be Hume League players in 2024, joining a Brookers side determined to wrestle the premiership cup back out of Osborne's grasp after losing in the grand final on Saturday.

Kable, who was captain of the Bombers, works with new Holbrook co-coach Josh Jones and was immediately impressed when he visited the club.

"It's something I've been thinking about and with the time being right, it also had to be the right club and the right sort of situation," Kable said.

"Going out and watching Holbrook a few weeks ago, I got the vibe straight away that it's a well-run club, everyone who's there has bought in and there's plenty of people that are volunteering.

"There's people on a roster doing the boundary because they want to do it and they want to be involved with the club.

"We've both got families - I've got a little fella who's two and Cody's daughter is 18 months - and there's plenty of kids running around with jerseys on.

"I thought it might have been the right time (to move) but once I went out there and saw that side of it, it solidified the decision in my mind."

Kable, 25, operates predominantly at centre half-back but is versatile and finished second behind Michael Rampal in the 2021 Barton Medal vote count.

Meanwhile, 27-year-old Hewat is a centre half-forward who kicked 103 goals in his last two seasons with Dederang-Mt Beauty.

"It was a massively hard decision to leave," he said.

"I loved every minute of it, I said I'd be out there for six or seven years and I think I've done that.

"But I thought this was the time; I either finish up or I have a really good crack at trying to finish my career on a high note and this is the path we've taken.

"It's been a hard time but at the same time, when we went out to Holbrook the other week, it made the decision a hell of a lot easier when you go out and see that sort of club and community, run like it is."

Holbrook represents a different sort of challenge for Kable and Hewat, who finished in the bottom half of the ladder in all but one of their seasons with the Bombers.

"It's been a big chapter, going from where the club was at," Kable said.

"I was down playing footy in the couple of years when they were really, really battling.

"I came on with Jack Neil when he came over as coach so that was an awesome experience to see the club build up from where it was.

"He got us in that position where we were pushing it with the better teams.

"Having the year with DJ (Damien Jones) and getting to play finals, that elimination final against Barnawartha (in 2022) was definitely a chapter of my life I'm going to look back on as one of my fondest footy memories."

Hewat came through Wodonga's junior system and played senior Ovens and Murray football for the Bulldogs before heading bush to join the Bombers in 2018.

"The biggest thing in our footy careers was seeing Dederang get back to Sandy Creek," Hewat said.

"We spoke about it with Jack at the first training session we ever had out there, wanting to get back there, and we didn't know what that felt like because we hadn't been there - but to get there, to experience that and to look back on that now is pretty special."

The pair are the first pieces fitted into the 2024 Holbrook jigsaw by Jones and his fellow co-coach AB Mackinlay as they take the reins from Matt Sharp after six years.

"Coming off the season we've had and looking at how successful they've been over the last 18-24 months and even going out there and witnessing it the other week, it's getting that bit of excitement and that spark again to get back out there and play some good footy and enjoy football," Hewat said.

"Getting out there and seeing the facilities and the crowd and the people they have running the show out there, it was pretty impressive and we both walked away from that pretty well set on our decision."

Holbrook's sustainable approach to becoming a powerhouse of the Hume League was something which struck Kable.

"We can see, just from the couple of times we've been out there, the culture is driving the club and they've set themselves up really well for long-term success," he said.

"That's something I'm excited to be a part of.

"Lots of clubs just look to spend money and they might get a few good players but you know things are going to drop off eventually.

"But when you go out there and you see the buy-in from not only the players but the volunteers - everyone in the community was up and about for a game that didn't really mean much in their season (against Culcairn in round 18) - they were locked in finals anyway so to see that, you know the club's in a really strong position and they're going to be hopefully there for a long time to come.

"I'm pretty keen to see where next year takes us.

"Every team's goal is to play finals and we'll take it from there."

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