![Former Hawthorn forward Fergus Greene will return to his club Sandhurst for the 2024 BFNL season. Former Hawthorn forward Fergus Greene will return to his club Sandhurst for the 2024 BFNL season.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/shjDWP57NvFsN4SYJTNkJk/77b8bd4a-02d7-4a03-b120-70e3ffb59cd5.jpg/r247_7_2394_1307_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Sandhurst has executed an off-season recruiting campaign the equivalent of winning football lotto.
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Every coach enters pre-season hoping to sign a gun key forward, a star midfielder, a centre half-back and add some experience, but usually only improves one or maybe two of those areas.
The Dragons have ticked the box in all four areas and will head into the 2024 Bendigo Football Netball League season as warm premiership favourites.
The 2023 runners-up landed the biggest signing of the off-season with former Western Bulldogs and Hawthorn forward Fergus Greene deciding to return to his home club.
Greene, who celebrates his 26th birthday next month, returns to Sandhurst straight from the AFL after he played 11 games and kicked 15 goals for Hawthorn in 2023.
He previously played five games for the Western Bulldogs.
The athletic forward knocked back lucrative offers from VFL and metropolitan clubs to come home to Sandhurst.
It's not just Greene's obvious playing ability that has Sandhurst co-coach Ashley Connick excited about what he'll bring to the club.
"Ferg is such a leader. His footy knowledge is incredible,'' Connick said of Greene.
"He will be an incredible coach one day. It's not just his ability to play that makes him so valuable to us.
"I've had several footy chats with him over the past three or four years and he is footy mature beyond his years.
"The way he understands footy and thinks about footy is unbelievable. He'll add so much to our club.
"Ferg's return to the club is huge for not only Sandhurst, but the Bendigo league as well."
![Lachlan Tardrew will play at Sandhurst full-time in 2023. Picture by Darren Howe Lachlan Tardrew will play at Sandhurst full-time in 2023. Picture by Darren Howe](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/shjDWP57NvFsN4SYJTNkJk/2a2f3731-e805-408f-b986-ce0166846b06.jpg/r0_0_7428_4952_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Star midfielder Lachlan Tardrew will be a Sandhurst player full-time after ending a standout VFL career with Collingwood.
Tardrew, who will continue as assistant coach to Connick and Curnow, instantly improves the Sandhurst midfield.
"In the three games he played for Sandhurst this year he was clearly best on ground against Golden Square, he was in our best few players in the draw against Eaglehawk despite battling an ankle injury and in the second game against Golden Square he had 38 possessions and 14 clearances,'' Connick said of Tardrew.
"In my time at Sandhurst I think I've coached him 10 times and he's been best on ground in nine of them.
"He's a quality player and an even better person."
Tardrew and Greene are no strangers to playing together.
They first teamed up at under-12 level where they played in a premiership with St Therese's in the Bendigo Junior Football League.
"They're very similar Ferg and Lachy,'' Connick said.
![Flashback - 2012 Bendigo Braves under-16 team: Bendigo Braves under-16 boys team.
Lachlan Peel, Jackson Blakemore, Jack Exell, Jordan Rosengren, Lewis Beks, Tom Cole, Marko Novoselek, Tanner Rayner, Jakson Gibbs, Fergus Greene, Steven Forder and Braidon Blake.
Flashback - 2012 Bendigo Braves under-16 team: Bendigo Braves under-16 boys team.
Lachlan Peel, Jackson Blakemore, Jack Exell, Jordan Rosengren, Lewis Beks, Tom Cole, Marko Novoselek, Tanner Rayner, Jakson Gibbs, Fergus Greene, Steven Forder and Braidon Blake.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/shjDWP57NvFsN4SYJTNkJk/c53bf3ff-5048-4e5c-9415-ecd786aa75bf.JPG/r0_435_4256_2828_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"They have no arrogance about them, they just want to have a crack at it and they love the group.
"Both of them have done absolutely everything they could to get where they did with their footy.
"Now they've reached a stage where they want to play at Sandhurst.
"They're probably both at the peak of their footy powers now, so to get them back to Sandhurst at the same time is huge for the club."
![Flashback - Lachlan Tardrew in 2013 after winning the prestigious Pierre De Coubertin sport award. Flashback - Lachlan Tardrew in 2013 after winning the prestigious Pierre De Coubertin sport award.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/shjDWP57NvFsN4SYJTNkJk/81d045aa-c539-420b-a68e-84e68544f1a6.JPG/r0_0_3155_4327_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
While Greene adds excitement to the forward 50 and Tardrew will do damage through the middle of the ground, the Dragons have also strengthened their defensive unit by signing Will Wallace and Matt Campbell.
Wallace is no stranger to Bendigo footy.
He came through the Bendigo Pioneers and played in a BFNL senior flag for Strathfieldsaye before relocating to Geelong.
He starred for Mt Pleasant in the Blues' run to premiership glory in the HDFNL this year.
"I watched Will in a school game a few years ago and he just tore the game apart,'' Connick said.
"He's already a really good player and he should continue to get better.
"He's a Sandhurst junior, which means he's a one point player, which is an added bonus."
![Will Wallace had a superb season for Mt Pleasant in the HDFNL this year. Picture by Darren Howe Will Wallace had a superb season for Mt Pleasant in the HDFNL this year. Picture by Darren Howe](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/shjDWP57NvFsN4SYJTNkJk/3e7dc38c-b3c0-4d20-ab8b-ffc16f4a4933.jpg/r0_0_3453_2300_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Originally from Victoria, Campbell played at North Hobart the past couple of years where he predominantly played as a key defender.
"He's a well built, mature 28-year-old. He has great leadership attributes and he'll add a lot to us,'' Connick said of Campbell.
"When you lose a couple of players to retirement (Matt Thornton and Andy Collins), and then Lee (Coghlan) finishes up at Bridgewater, it's nice to get someone in that's a little bit older and add some leadership to the group."
With young forwards Cobi Maxted and Lachlan Wright to play alongside Greene, the Dragons have flexibility and depth in their key position stocks that most clubs could only dream of.
"We're not pencilling in anyone in any particular spot just yet,'' Connick said.
"Matt Campbell can play key back or key forward, Will Wallace can play key back, key forward or even in the ruck and, obviously, Bryce (Curnow) can play at either end.
"We're well-off in that key position area.
"It gives us a lot of options. We can play three talls in the forward line or we can have multiple intercept marking options in defence.
"That's Matt's strength and Will's strength and Bryce's strength. If you can control the air it's a valuable thing come finals time."
The Dragons start their pre-season training campaign next week.