OSBORNE: Gains, losses, Q&A with Myles Aalbers and prospects this season

Last year: Premiers (17-1)

Gains: Myles Aalbers (Lavington), Max Hillier (Coolamon), Kai Watts (GGGM), Izaac McDonnell (season off), Jed Griffin (season off), Alex Weightman (Turvey Park), Nic Cooper (Marrar)

Losses: Joel Mackie, Harrison Miller (Jindera), Hayden Armstrong (Ainslie), Bailey and Ollie McAlister (Thurgoona) Ryan Collins (Collingullie-GP), Sam Livingstone (retired), Marty Bahr (overseas), Matt McGrory, Dan O'Connell,

Most recent finals appearance: 2023

Most recent flag: 2023

Captain: Duncan McMaster

Who starts the season flag favourites and why?: I think you can throw a blanket over Holbrook, RWW-Giants , Jindera, CDHBU, Howlong and us. Shaping up as a pretty even competition. If I had to pick one it would be Holbrook. Maintained the majority of the list and added some good midfielders.

Your likely top-six?: In no particular order I think Holbrook, Osborne, Jindera, Howlong, CDHBU and Giants.

Which side is likely to be the biggest improver?: CDHBU will improve again. Added some good players and I'm sure they will be hungry to build on last year's finals campaign. My old side, the Giants, are in the same boat as well. Who knows, maybe the competition could have its first grand final comprising two merged identities?

Best player in the competition?: Connor Galvin plays at a high standard every week and is a big game player. Considering his last three or four seasons he could become the player to poll the most Azzi votes in the competition's history without getting his hands on the medal.

Best recruit in the competition over the off-season?: The old bull in Luke Garland and the young bull in Patty Lavis. Garland can be hard to stop when he is forward and his experience will be invaluable. Lavis is a quality young bloke who should still be in the O&M. Just needs to stay injury free.

Which recruit at your club excites you the most and why?: We recruited some quality mids this year in McDonnell, Griffin, Hillier, Watts and they will all have a big impact on the competition this season. But we have been very impressed with Max Hillier so far. Looks smooth on the track, has great skills and fits into what we are trying to do really well .

Who has been the standout at pre-season training so far?: Young Alex O'Connell has been a standout with his elite running. Eddie O'Connell and Clancy Galvin have also been leading from the front. But we have been very impressed with the commitment from the group overall with both grades coming off premierships. The work ethic has risen again speaking to the leaders from last year. Couple of veterans in McMaster and O'Rourke have really been setting the standard.

How tough was recruiting this off-season compared to previous experiences?: We knew fairly early which guys were moving on after last year which made it a bit easier to target our needs straight away. You never stop recruiting though no matter what time of year. We have a lot of guys that played in the reserves grand final that are senior footballers in waiting so there will be opportunities for them to play senior footy. We were disappointed to lose Ryan Collins to Gullie, he would have been a nice focal point for us.

What have the numbers been like at pre-season training?: We average between 30-34 for most sessions.

Were you disappointed your good mate Luke Garland didn't follow you to Osborne?: No doubt it would have been nice to get Luke out to Osborne but unfortunately it wasn't to be. I totally understand his decision and I never pressured him and I only asked him once. At the end of the day we are best mates and that won't change.

What are your expectations this season?: Our aim is to play finals but where we are with the list it's a bit of a transitional phase for us in a way. Lost 10 guys and recruited seven. We will have a new coach with a new game plan so we will look to gel as soon as possible. We want emerging players like Andrew Smith, Ryley Watson, Max McLeod, Hayden O'Connell, Alex O'Connell, Kyle Bull, John Ryan, Josh McDonnell to develop into senior regulars. They will certainly get their opportunities as well as anyone in the thirds that is playing good footy. Since arriving at the club I have been super impressed by the standard and the eagerness of the guys to get better and stay on top. We enjoy training and we'll continue to look at ways to get better and improve off the back of hard work.

WE SAY: Forecasting the fortunes of the reigning premier this season is no easy task. While the departure of 10 premiership players would decimate most clubs, the Tigers have somehow gone a long way to covering their losses. The arrival of five recruits plus the return of Izaac McDonnell and Jed Griffen will help cover the departures although the loss of star trio Dan O'Connell, Matt McGrory and Hayden Armstrong is a stinging blow. However, the Tigers still boast plenty of star power with Connor and Declan Galvin, George Alexander, Duncan McMaster, Ed O'Connell and Hugh Schmetzer among the biggest names in the competition. Newly appointed coach Myles Aalbers is still hopeful of further signings ahead of their season opener against Howlong. The Tigers have also been simply a class above the rest of the competition apart from Holbrook for the past three years with a record of 53 wins from 55 matches under former coach Joel Mackie would indicate. Mackie departing Tigerland after leading the club to a flag is a bizarre occurrence but the league powerhouse is in good hands with Aalbers calling the shots. Aalbers was highly regarded during his coaching tenure at rival club RWW Giants and takes over a list with plenty of talent in the reserves and thirds. The reserves only lost one match last season on the way to winning the flag. The Tigers' junior development is the envy of the rest of the competition with the club having a seemingly endless supply of talented teenagers who thrive once given senior opportunities. The Tigers' finals record is also the envy of the competition, boasting a phenomenal run of success after only missing finals twice since 1996. So while finals appear a lock again for the perennial powerhouse, could the Tigers miss playing off in a grand final for the first time since 2018?

PREDICTION: Third