Club president Caleb Kuhle said stability was always going to play a key role in the Pies' progression and the re-signing of Moran was crucial.

"Don's been a really good fit with the players,'' Kuhle said.

"Everyone loves him and he's passionate enough to take us a lot further.

"He is a father figure around the club and we didn't want to see the young group lose that.

"He probably does more than any other coach in the league. He takes time away from work to help with every aspect of the club - even cleaning the rooms.

"He's the right man for the job with the group we have."

Kuhle said the club has already re-signed 18 players from this year's list for the 2022 season - a marked improvement compared to the same stage in previous seasons.

The Pies haven't won a match in 2021, but some of their young players have shown they have a bright future.

The club has wasted little time in locking those young players in for 2022.

"Our two Rising Star nominations - Brodie Byrne and Callum McConachy - signed on straight away,'' Kuhle said.

"Brodie's only 17, but he's a future star. He went on to Lachlan Sharp against Strathfieldsaye and I've never seen a Castlemaine player defend Sharp as well as that.

"He did the same against Kaiden Antonowicz. Brodie loves Castlemaine and he wants to win a flag at Castlemaine because his Dad did.

"Callum goes to uni in Melbourne, but he doesn't want to play anywhere else.

"As soon as Callum came off the track to have the conversation with us he said 'I'm not going anywhere, this is the best club to be involved with'.

"To have those two sign on straight away was really positive.

"Riley Pedretti has been arguably our best player this year and he's signed on as well.

"Riley is such a good person and his family is a big supporter of what the club is doing.

"He can play anywhere on the ground. He's so valuable for us."

Young midfielder Will Moran - one of the Pies' most consistent players this season - will return in 2022.

At the other end of the scale in terms of age, veteran duo Liam Wilkinson and David Stephens have re-signed.

Wilkinson has made a big impact with the Pies in his first season after crossing from the powerful Goulburn Valley Football League.

"He's a strong leader and he does everything right,'' Kuhle said of Wilkinson.

"He's bought into everything the club is trying to do. People like him don't come around too often."

Read more: Stephens savours his time with Castlemaine

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