A glut of talent from Melbourne will make the trip up the highway every Saturday for the Demons this season after a brilliant recruiting campaign by the clubs backroom operators and returning premiership coach Wayne Mitrovic.

Headlined by dual league best and fairest winner (Ballarat FL and Western Region FL), Steve Kennedy and Grabowski brothers Josh and Nick, the Demons have a fresh batch of players hungry for success in country footy, according to Mitrovic.

"There's a common theme amongst most of the new recruits is that they haven't experienced genuine country footy, and they want to be involved in that community and everything a Saturday brings," Mitrovic said.

"For guys like Steve (Kennedy) and the Grabowski boys who are entering their 30s, they feel if they don't take this opportunity to play country footy now, the window might close on them.

"I'm very pleased with how we've recruited, and we're probably a key forward or ruckman short, but we're still searching, and I think we can just fit one more recruit in under the points cap."

While the hunt continues for a tall forward, Josh and Nick Grabowski are set to be dangerous livewires in the Demons front 50.

Nick was selected in the EDFL team of the year in 2019 and 2022 while playing for East Keilor, and his brother Josh spent time on the Western Bulldogs VFL list before becoming a three-time team of the year member in both the EDFL and Northern Football League's.

Josh will bring great leadership to the Demons, having been a vice-captain of Vic Metro and is currently completing his level three coaching accreditation.

After a season off from footy to run marathons, Kennedy returns to the game in peak fitness.

His signature alone would have been labelled a success for the Demons, but the gun midfielder has, in a sense, become a recruiter himself, bringing work colleagues Jack Marlais and Maysen Murgov to the Demons with him.

"It's not bad when you look through his (Kennedy) resume that includes five club best and fairests and a couple of premierships," Mitrovic said.

"Him and Josh (Grabowski) are massive inclusions because they're both star midfielders who can kick 20-plus goals a season.

"Then, of course, we got lucky with Steve's workmate Jack (Marlais) overhearing a conversation he was having and deciding to join us as well, followed by Maysen (Murgov).

Marlais is also a former teammate of Kennedy's from Altona and a fellow best and fairest and premiership winner at the club.

His running ability suits the way Mitrovic is hoping to play.

"Jack is predominately a wingman, and his biggest attribute is his running ability," he said.

"We're not going to be a big team, but we'll have a lot of leg speed, so we're formulating a game plan around that."

While they won't be the biggest side, as Mitrovic has alluded, the Demons have brought in size.

Club junior Morgan Fawcett has returned home after playing a high standard of footy for University Blues in the VAFA's Premier Division.

The solidly built 6'3 local is reportedly in incredible shape for a man his size.

Then there's the 195cm Murgov, who is the youngest of the new faces at Wycheproof-Narraport.

"Maysen also works with Steve and Jack and has seen an opportunity to come try something different," Mitrovic said.

"We're very pleased to get him because, at 30, players are looking for something different, but to bring in a 23-year-old of his size from a strong club (Avondale Heights) in Melbourne is very rare."

In more good news for the Demons, former club best and fairest winner, George Turner, will lace the boots up for the first time in a couple of seasons, and Koby Hommelhoff is expected to return from knee surgery mid-season.

Damien Horbury has departed for family reasons, and midfielder Justin Bateson has joined Kangaroo Flat in the BFNL.

The Demons begin the 2024 season away to Donald.