With new coach John Brunskill at the helm, the Tigers will look to avoid adding another season to their eight-campaign streak of not winning a final, particularly given they have made the post-season and immediately exited in the past two seasons.
But Brunskill, a former Strathmerton coach who was the Tigers’ chairman of selectors last season, said the ingredients were there for the side to again be at the ladder’s pointy end.
“If we play the best we can, we’ve got some really good kids we think we can rely on for plenty of growth,” Brunskill said.
“There’s some good kids there, I think what happened was injuries just destroyed our season – they’re always a factor for every team, but we had 16 or 17 out a couple of times and it’s hard to compete with that.
“I hope we’ll be a fairly attacking team and play a free-flowing brand, we’ve got those kids that really like to run.”
The Tigers missed talented stars including Tyron Baden, Tim Garlick, Sam Gemmill and Darcy McCormack for long portions last season and would benefit greatly from a better injury run, things falling apart late last season with losses in five of their past six games.
The side has added Yarrawonga trio Marcus and Travis Hargreaves and Joe Gorman, who all primarily played Ovens and Murray reserves football last season, along with Westmeadows ruckman Michael Gillard.
“We’ve picked up four players from around the area that fit into what we’re doing, we know we needed a ruck and some bigger bodies. We’ve kept with our policy, they’re all pretty young,” Brunskill said.
Young talents Luca Allen and Harry Beasley look the obvious candidates to take another step forward this season, with Adam De Cicco again to be important after a best and fairest-winning 2019.
FAST FACTS
COACH: JOHN BRUNSKILL
MFL PREMIERSHIPS: 1947, 1948, 1955, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1969, 1974, 1984, 1985, 1998.
2019 FINISH: SEVENTH (10-8)
2019 BEST-AND-FAIREST: ADAM DE CICCO
2019 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: CADEYN WILLIAMS (35)
GROUND: SCOTT OVAL
NICKNAME: TIGERS
IN: Michael Gillard (Westmeadows), Joe Gorman, Marcus Hargreaves, Travis Hargreaves (Yarrawonga).
OUT: Daniel Clarke, Tom Scott (Yarroweyah).
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