Steven Stroobants and Isaiah Miller have stepped into the co-coaching role, taking over from Nathan Horbury and will guide a Bloods side that has lost some high quality talent from last year's team that finished fifth, while welcoming in a host of new players.

What can you tell us about the new players you have brought into the club over the off-season.

"We have brought in Anthony Zimmeman and Matthew McNaughton both from St Kilda City.

"Zim is an exciting midfielder/forward and Matthew can play half-forward or half-back and go through the mids as well.

"Jack Francis is returning to the club from North Bendigo. We will look to play him as an on-baller and also up forward as well.

"Patrick Sheahan and Will Marks have come across from Birchip-Watchem. Pat is another of those half-forward, half-back players who can also go through the midfield and Will will be a key forward who could also spend some time in the ruck as well.

"Blake Poyser is returning to the club from Geelong. He's a South Bendigo junior who will mainly play half-back and potentially half-forward as well.

"Nathan Murley has come over from Maiden Gully and will play on a wing.

"And Aiden Avery from Mildura is on the Bendigo Pioneers list and will play a bit of senior footy for us as another of those half-back/half-forward players and a little bit on the wing as well."

What does the departure list look like?

"It's pretty similar numbers in terms of outs.

"Nathan Horbury has moved up to Noosa, Oscar White and Cooper Leon are staying in Melbourne, Will Allen has gone to Inglewood, Sam Maher is out at Calivil, Daniel Johnstone at Heathcote, Mac Cameron has had to relocate for work, so he will be playing down Frankston way, Braydan Torpey is travelling around Australia and Sam Langley is heading to the UK to play cricket."

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The Mac Cameron departure coming fairly late in the pre-season is obviously a huge blow given his impact last year in the ruck. And with Will Allen also on the move, how does the ruck department now look?

"We recruited Will Marks as a key forward, but he will probably have to play a bit in the ruck and Riley Walsh has had a go in the ruck previously for us and we'll give him another go as well.

"We'll be on the lookout throughout the year, but it's obviously pretty tough to get a ruckman come this time of year.

"We're confident though that those boys will step up and compete well for us when they get their chance."

With the likes of Horbury, Leon and White being key cogs in the midfield in recent years all having departed, how does the on-ball brigade look now for this season?

"We've still got Brody Haddow, who is obviously very handy in the midfield.

"Anthony Zimmeman will play in the midfield and he's a really exciting recruit for us and so to is Matt McNaughton who will run through there at times.

"Jack Francis will be that bash and crash inside midfielder and potentially I might go through the mids a bit more to help out, as well as Brock (Harvey) and Stroobs (Steven Stroobants)."

Given his impressive season last year, how significant a loss is Will Keck (ACL) being sidelined for the year?

"It's obviously disappointing for both Will and the team that he's out. He was building really dangerously last year to just about move full-time into the midfield.

"He is a big out and so much harder to replace given he's a junior player who was really starting to show himself to be an A grader in the Bendigo league."

Where would you hope the 40 goals Kecky kicked last year could come from this season in his place?

"Obviously Brock and Stroobs kicked a fair few between themselves (combined for 122) last year and I'd expect them to kick a similar number again.

"We'd hope Will Marks coming in will be able to kick a few goals and that we can get some goals out of the midfield through guys like Antony Zimmeman and we've also got Alex Smith who has played quite a bit forward in the past."

The club has taken some big steps in the right direction playing finals the past two years following a lengthy September drought. What's your expectations for this season?

"We've obviously had some turnover of players and recruited quite a few, so there's a bit of an unknown in terms of how everyone is going to mix together, but we'd still hope to be in that finals mix.

"We certainly don't want to be going backwards and hoping to be pushing again for that fourth or fifth spot that we have been over the past couple of seasons."

ROUND 1 - April 13

v Strathfieldsaye (a)

ROUND 2 - April 20

v Castlemaine (h)

ROUND 3 - April 27

v Kangaroo Flat (a)

ROUND 4 - May 4

v Gisborne (h)

ROUND 5 - May 11

v Sandhurst (a)

ROUND 6 - May 18

v Maryborough (h)

ROUND 7 - June 1

Bye

ROUND 8 - June 8

v Golden Square (a)

ROUND 9 - June 15

v Eaglehawk (h)

ROUND 10 - June 22

v Strathfieldsaye (h)

ROUND 11 - June 29

v Castlemaine (a)

ROUND 12 - July 13

v Kangaroo Flat (h)

ROUND 13 - July 20

v Gisborne (a)

ROUND 14 - July 27

v Sandhurst (h)

ROUND 15 - August 3

v Maryborough (a)

ROUND 16 - August 10

Bye

ROUND 17 - August 17

v Golden Square (h)

ROUND 18 - August 24

v Eaglehawk (a)