HOLBROOK: Gains, losses, Q&A with Josh Jones and prospects this season

Homegrown talent Andrew Mackinlay and Josh Jones will co-coach the Brookers this season. Picture by Mark Jesser

HOLBROOK

Co-coaches: Josh Jones and Andrew Mackinlay

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Last year: Runner-up (15-1-2)

Gains: Josh Kable, Cody Hewat (DMB), Will Holmes (Minyip Murtoa), Lachie Semmler (Lavington), Corey McCarthy (injury), Jock Triggs (season off), Andrew Dear (season off) Cal Langlands (season off), Hainsworth Van Den Heuvel (Wagga Tigers)

Losses: Raven Jolliffe (travelling), Michael Oates (RWW Giants), Michael Rampal (retired)

Most recent finals appearance: 2023

Most recent flag: 2022

Captain: Alec Sullivan

Josh Jones forms part of the Brookers' midfield rotations. Picture by Mark Jesser

Q&A with JOSH JONES

Who starts the season flag favourites and why?: Hard to go past Osborne. The Tigers continue to produce year in, year out. Although they have had some significant departures over the off-season, their senior core group of great players still remain. They have only lost two matches in two seasons for a reason.

Your likely top-six?: Osborne, Holbrook, Jindera, CDHBU, Howlong, RWW Giants

Which side is likely to be the biggest improver?: It's hard to split CDHBU or Jindera. Both clubs have recruited really well to add to their lists which already boasted their fair share of high quality players.

The return of Corey McCarthy from a knee injury is a bonus with the speedster a premiership defender in 2022. Picture by James Wiltshire

Best player in the competition?: Connor Galvin and it's almost impossible to curb his influence on a game. Galvin somehow manages to raise the bar each year and how he hasn't won an Azzi medal yet is one of the Hume league's great mysteries.

Best recruit in the competition over the off-season?: Luke Garland arrives at the kennel with the reputation as one of the best players to ever play for Lavington and one of the best players in the O&M for a long time. Luke is a class player and will be very hard to stop wherever he plays.

Which recruit at your club excites you the most and why?: We have been able to recruit some really great players as well as have some terrific former players return to the club. If I was forced to pinpoint one, it would be Josh Kable. Josh looks super fit and has been training really well. He will be able to provide a lot of flexibility to our side because he can play in multiple positions.

Lachie Semmler has crossed to the Brookers over the off-season after playing in Lavington's thirds flag last year. Picture by James Wiltshire

Who has been the standout at pre-season training so far?: Logan Hamilton has hardly missed a training run since pre-season started and he looks stronger and fitter than what he was last year. I'm expecting him to reap the benefits and take his game to another level this year.

How tough was recruiting this off-season compared to previous experiences?: Being a rookie coach it was a different experience recruiting-wise. However, it was relatively simple as the guys we recruited were really keen to come on board.

Andrew Dear has returned to the Brookers after a season off.

What have the numbers been like at pre-season training?: Numbers have been great, we have been getting 30-40 blokes consistently both nights, which makes our job as coaches a lot easier.

What are your expectations this season?: As a playing group and as a club we are always striving for the ultimate success. We believe we have the right squad to take us to another premiership, in both grades. We know it's going to be a tough season and anyone really in the top-six can win it. Looking forward to the challenge.

Logan Hamilton provides the Brookers with a physical presence whether playing in the ruck or up forward. Picture by Mark Jesser

WE SAY: After emerging as a genuine league heavyweight under coach Matt Sharp, local talents Andrew Mackinlay and Josh Jones take the reins as co-coaches with Sharp remaining as a player. The two locals lads have enjoyed a promising start to their coaching careers after keeping departures to a minimum and adding significant depth to the list. While the loss of Jolliffe and Oates robs the Brookers of some class and flexibility, last year's grand finalists look set to boast a superior list to the previous season. Dederang recruit Josh Kable is one of the best key defenders in the TDFL and was a Team of Year member last season and is Darcy Moore-like with his ability to read the play and take intercept marks. Bombers teammate Cody Hewat is also a TDFL Team of the Year member and will add another dimension to the Brookers' attack which already boasts plenty of firepower with star spearhead Luke Gestier, alongside Andrew Mackinlay, Logan Hamilton and Ben and Fletcher Parker. Ben Parker enjoyed a breakout season in attack last season and booted five goals in the preliminary final and is one player opposition defences will need to get their match-up right or could pay a hefty price. The return of Azzi medallist Will Holmes and Corey McCarthy is also a huge bonus with the pair in the club's top half-a-dozen players. After playing off in the past two grand finals and winning the flag two years ago the Brookers premiership window is still wide open and will take a power of stopping as they strive to win their third flag in the Hume league.

PREDICTION: Runner-up