The Cats finally broke through for their first premiership in the HDFL last year when they hung on to defeat Heathcote by six points.

Having now had a taste of the ultimate success, the Cats are determined to do all they can to give themselves the opportunity to go back-to-back.

“Things are going along pretty well at the moment,” Oliver said yesterday.

“The boys are training well on the track and are really keen to try to get another premiership.

“As we’ve found out, they don’t come easy and you have to work hard to win them... we’re going to be the hunted this year, so we have to raise the bar again and step it up a gear.

“The boys are training the hardest out of the three years I’ve been here and they’re all really fit at the moment.”

The Cats have lost five players from their premiership side in Brodie Collins (Eaglehawk), Ben McPhee (Rochester) and Sean Murphy, Carl Treacy and Carl Moon, who have all retired.

With Treacy and Moon retiring, the Cats’ key defensive stocks have taken a hit. However, their recruits include defender Simon Keleher, who joins the club from Ormond with an impressive footballing CV.

Keleher is the most decorated player in Ormond’s history.

Having played more than 200 games for the club, he has won seven club best and fairests, three league best and fairests and played state representative football.

The Cats have also picked up another defender in Joe Holloway from Warrnambool and have Wade Pitson returning to the field.

But one of the great strengths of the Cats is their depth, and that was epitomised when the club won the senior, reserves and under-17 premierships last year.

Last year was the Cats’ fifth under-17 premiership in a row.

“There’s a fair bit of depth coming up through the under-17s,” Oliver said.

“With them winning premierships over the past few years, there’s obviously some players we can bring in from there.”

The Cats will begin their practice matches on March 17 against Donald, before taking on Echuca United and Calivil United.

The Cats have a bye in the opening round of the season, with their first match to be at home against arch-rivals Elmore on April 14.