The list of recruits for the Maroons includes the club’s 2014 best and fairest winner Jordan Gilboy, who spent last year playing in Western Australia.

As well as onballer Gilboy, the Maroons have also added Brian Mustafa, Chris McKnight and Alex Farrow, who all played with Castlemaine in the Bendigo league last year.

”We’ll probably use Brian in a midfield-forward role, Alex is a player who can play off half-back and we’d look at Chris as a key back for us,” Newbridge coach Matt Dillon said on Thursday.

“We were really keen to bring in players with Bendigo league experience and to get three, as well as Jordan, who has also played with Castlemaine, coming back is a positive for the club.”

At this stage the only confirmed departures from the Maroons are Lachlan Ford, who after winning the past two best and fairests has joined North Bendigo, and Nathan Bacon.

“That’s a really good sign having only lost the two players… over the past few years we’ve probably lost a few too many, whereas this year we’ve held on to a lot more,” said Dillon, who is coaching the Maroons for a fourth season.

“We needed to add a bit more depth and a bit more midfield strength, which we think we’ve done, and we’re still looking around for a big key forward.”

The Maroons – who again have 46 player points this year – have missed the finals the past two seasons, finishing sixth and seventh, and haven’t won a premiership since 2000.

The Maroons open their 2017 campaign with a home game at Karee Wool Riverside Oval against Pyramid Hill on Saturday, April 1.