BENDIGO

Skippers: Geoff Briggs, Nick Belt, Ian Ross, Torie Babitsch.

Last season: Premiers – 11-5.

Enters 2017-18 as the reigning premier, but it will be a vastly different team to the one that defeated Bendigo East in last summer’s grand final thriller.

More than half of last season’s premiership team isn’t playing with Bendigo this summer – Andrew Brown, Barry Anset, Damien Mason, Tom Russell, Mitch Hocking, Tim Arnold, Amelia Bruggy, Grant Woodward and Simon Chisholm – all outs.

Ian Ross is the only skipper from last season still in the role for what will be his ninth year in a row and will be joined by Geoff Briggs, Nick Belt and Torie Babitsch, who are all former Bendigo skippers.

Stephanie Priest and Lee Harris are two female bowlers who will get the opportunity to show their talent in division one in what’s shaping as a season where Bendigo – after six-straight years in the finals – looms as the competition slider.

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BENDIGO EAST

Skippers: Brad Marron, Aaron Tomkins, Chris Randall, Sam Lyon.

Last season: 2^nd – 14-2.

This time last year the Magpies were all the rage after they lured skippers Darren Burgess, David Keenan and Aaron Tomkins back to the club.

History shows East had to settle for runner-up after losing the grand final to Bendigo by two shots and of last year’s star trio that returned to Lansell Street, only Tomkins is still there.

With Keenan and Burgess – as well as Marc Smith – no longer playing, East will have three new skippers in its quest to make finals for a ninth year in a row.

Brad Marron, a 2015-16 premiership skipper, is back at the club, Chris Randall gets the opportunity to step up and Sam Lyon from Tongala will also skip a rink.

In total, seven of last season’s runners-up side has departed – Keenan, Burgess, Smith, Paul Vlaeminck, Dave Morris, Paul Moller and John Crawford.

Coupled with the nine out of Bendigo, that’s 16 of last season’s 32 who played in the grand final either at a new club or not playing at all this summer.

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CASTLEMAINE

Skippers: Ray McCumber, Luke Hoskin, Darren Taylor, Rod Phillips.

Last season: 4^th – 9-6.

Coming off its first finals appearance since 2012 last season and also with a new $210,000 synthetic green to play on.

The only skipper change has been Darren Taylor, a third last year, stepping up in place of Peter Brain.

Barry Guest has been recruited from Kangaroo Flat, while the Maine is also looking forward to 15-year-old Lachie Darroch getting the opportunity to play in the top side.

Gone from last season are two former skippers in Tony Olsson, who has returned to Harcourt, and Rick Parr to Strathfieldsaye.

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EAGLEHAWK

Skippers: Dean Carter, Simon Carter, Brayden Byrne, Tony Ellis.

Last season: 5^th – 7-7.

The Hawks are coming off a season in which they missed the finals for the first time since 1999.

No doubt the Hawks will be keen to reassert themselves this season and work their way back into the top four.

Dean Carter has crossed to the Hawks where he will join his brother, Simon, as one of the skippers. For Simon it will be his sixth season on the trot as a skip.

The Hawks also have Max Watts returning, while the outs are Russell Simmonds and Gary Beckham.

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GOLDEN SQUARE

Skippers: Mal Finch, Daryl Cheeseman, Tas Wallis, Geoff Walsh.

Last season:  7^th – 4-10.

The Square expects a more competitive showing than last season when it won just four games and finished seventh.

The club has added a former division one skipper in Bernie Carlson from Charlton, as well as a trio of players from North Bendigo – Ian Hammond, Barry Hogan and Paul Beveridge.

Square is also hopeful of signing a former state player, possibly next week, to bolster its list.

Neil Patten is an out from last season.

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INGLEWOOD

Skippers: Daryl Rowley, Rob Day, Lindsay Kelly, Mal McLean.

Last season: 6^th – 5-9.

Took some steps forward last season in improving to five wins and finishing sixth – Inglewood’s highest position since returning to division one in 2008-09.

Inglewood has the same four skippers as last season, and in what’s a good sign for the club, there are no departures.

Former Bendigo East bowler Adam Ellerton has joined Inglewood after returning to Bendigo from Queensland, while Dennis Wilson is also back at the club after a year off.

Inglewood improved from three wins in 2015-16 to five last season. Another couple of wins would continue its push in the right direction.

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KANGAROO FLAT

Skippers: Cameron Wilson, Barry Anset, Tom Russell, Paul Moller.

Last season: 8^th – 3-11.

After six-straight years out of the finals – including claiming the wooden spoon last season – the Flat looks set to hit back with a bang this summer.

The club has orchestrated a massive recruiting spree which is headlined by the appointment of Cameron Wilson – after six years playing for Essendon – as coach.

Wilson is one of seven recruits the Flat will inject into its division one side, along with Barry Anset, Gary Beckham, Mitch Hocking, Phillip Jennings, Paul Moller, Tom Russell and Grant Woodward.

Wilson, the former Bendigo duo of Anset and Russell, and Moller from East will all skip in a Kangaroo Flat side that shapes as one of the teams to beat.

Max Watts and Dean Carter have left the Flat to join Eaglehawk.

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SOUTH BENDIGO

Skippers: Brad Holland, Liam Crapper, Ryan Tainton, Greg Sherman.

Last season: 3^rd – 10-6.

South took a giant leap last season from wooden-spooners in 2015-16 to just three shots off playing in a grand final 12 months later.

South has topped up its squad with the additions of Steve Zsigmond from St Arnaud and the Maryborough trio of Brian Daly, Keith Neville and Ken Rogers as it strives to win its first premiership since 1994.

The side will have to play the first two matches without coach and skipper Brad Holland through suspension.

Despite losing Noel Wilkinson, Justin Rorke and John Jennings from last season’s preliminary final team, South is shaping as a force to be wary of.

Tomorrow – top 50 skipper wins since 2005-06