Wodonga Raiders will field their strongest team in at least three years when two VFL players, including a Collingwood AFL grand final player, tackle Albury on Saturday.
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Tom Phillips, who played in the Pies' five-point loss to West Coast in 2018, signalled Raiders as his 'home' club last month, while Frankston's Seb Quirk did likewise in December.
Quirk is related to Raiders' forward Jason Burke, while Phillips is friends with the club's full-time recruit Darrean Wyatt.
Phillips is playing full-time with Carlton in the VFL.
"Tom will play through the midfield and will certainly help us in that part of the ground and Seb will also play on-ball, he's a strong-bodied midfielder," coach Marc Almond said.
Quirk is also in dynamic form, claiming Frankston's best in the 21-point loss to Williamstown in round one and also featured in last weekend's 25-point victory over Port Melbourne.
The VFL has a general bye this weekend with the league's representative outfit playing the SANFL during the AFL's Gather Round in South Australia.
The inclusion of the state level duo, along with regulars in former AFL players Cam Ellis-Yolmen and Sam Darley, and last week's opening round match-winner in Tom Bracher, means Raiders will boast their best team since at least 2021, when the club last finished in the top five.
That team included 2019 Morris medallist Jarrod Hodgkin, multiple best and fairest Jydon Neagle and boom ruckman Isaac Muller.
Yet despite the number of A graders, Raiders will still start outsiders against the home team.
Albury demolished Corowa-Rutherglen by 135 points on Easter Saturday.
Raiders edged out Lavington in a six-point thriller.
"Definitely there's a buzz, I suppose in the last couple of years we would have lost that game by a couple of goals," Almond reasoned.
"Last year we were 15 points up against Wangaratta Rovers midway through the last quarter in our first game and lost, it can deflate your season, but getting a win first up definitely helps your motivation."
The four teams which missed finals last year will look to Wodonga's start in 2023.
The Bulldogs hadn't played finals since 2009, but broke the drought after a 5-0 start.
