After finishing ninth in 2019-20, the Dragons improved by two positions last season to finish seventh, with Gibson hopeful Sandhurst can make more steady improvement this summer.

"We haven't gone out and tried to recruit four or five A grade cricketers to have a real tilt at trying to win it this season; what we're doing is continuing to focus on developing our kids," Gibson said.

"We think we've got a good group of guys who will be able to take us forward and play some really competitive cricket over the coming years.

"But we've got to give our young players the chance to blossom in those roles and we want to be able to repay the faith for the work they have been putting in."

The Dragons will be minus one of their leading wicket-takers from last season with Will Keck out with a knee injury suffered playing football, while wicket-keeper Will Gadsden, who is based in Melbourne, is also a likely omission.

Captain Joel Murphy and Anthony McMahon will open the batting for the Dragons followed by a mix of Gibson, Ben Leed and the returning Ash Gray after his early end to last season, while with the ball Gibson is excited by the impact Reilley Porter could have.

"Reilley has had a really good pre-season and is bowling quite well and really testing the batsmen out," Gibson said.

"Being a young, tall guy, he is going to grow into his body and once he starts getting that bit stronger we think he's going to be really hard to play against.

"And (leg-spinner) Ben Evans could be a real weapon for us. He is bowling a lot of balls at training and away from training and really putting in the work."

Skipper Murphy heads into his second season at the helm coming off being the joint BDCA Cricketer of the Year last summer with Strathdale's Jack Neylon for a superb summer with the bat in which he cracked 697 runs at an average of 46.6, including two centuries.

"Joel is only 24-year-old, still improving as a cricketer and is already one of the best opening batsmen in the region," Gibson said.

"He knows what he has to do to bat well and has a really good temperament; we're expecting another big year from him.

"And it's great to have Ash Gray back for us. He has been hitting the ball really hard at training and everyone knows just what a good ball-striker he is, so if we can get him in at the right time of the innings away from the new ball he's going to be really dangerous."

ROUND 1 - November 13

v Strathdale (h)

............................................

ROUND 2 - November 20

v Huntly-North Epsom (a)

............................................

ROUND 3 - November 27

v Bendigo (h)

............................................

ROUND 4 - December 4

v Kangaroo Flat (a)

............................................

ROUND 5 - December 11

v Bendigo United (h)

............................................

ROUND 6 - December 18

v Eaglehawk (a)

............................................

ROUND 7 - January 8

v Golden Square (h)

............................................

ROUND 8 - January 15

v Strathfieldsaye (a)

............................................

ROUND 9 - January 22

v White Hills (a)

............................................

ROUND 10 - January 29

v Strathdale (a)

............................................

ROUND 11 - February 5

v Huntly-North Epsom (h)

............................................

ROUND 12 - February 6

v Bendigo (a)

............................................

ROUND 13 - February 12

v Kangaroo Flat (h)

............................................

ROUND 14 - February 19

v Bendigo United (a)

............................................

ROUND 15 - February 26

v Eaglehawk (h)

............................................

ROUND 16 - March 5

v Golden Square (a)

............................................

ROUND 17 - March 6

v Strathfieldsaye (h)

............................................

ROUND 18 - March 12

v White Hills (h)

Finished - 7th

Record - 5-10-3, 0.76%

Bat - 5th Ball - 9th

............................................

Leading run-scorers:

697 - Joel Murphy

405 - Dylan Gibson

272 - Anthony McMahon

178 - Ash Gray

178 - Ben Leed

............................................

Leading wicket-takers:

17 - Dylan Gibson

16 - Anthony McMahon

14 - Will Keck

8 - Ben Evans

8 - Nathan Walsh

............................................

Leading MVP points:

850 - Dylan Gibson

787 - Joel Murphy

617 - Anthony McMahon

443 - Will Keck

293 - Ben Leed

v Bendigo

Won: 17 Lost: 11

............................................

v Bendigo United

Won: 8 Lost: 19

............................................

v Eaglehawk

Won: 7 Lost: 22

............................................

v Golden Square

Won: 6 Lost: 19

............................................

v Huntly-North Epsom

Won: 16 Lost: 14

............................................

v Kangaroo Flat

Won: 13 Lost: 16

............................................

v Strathdale-Maristians

Won: 6 Lost: 19

............................................

v Strathfieldsaye

Won: 12 Lost: 17

............................................

v White Hills

Won: 8 Lost: 17

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