How a club performs in the off-season doesn't automatically equate to success in September, but Sandhurst has given itself a wonderful opportunity to go one step further in 2024.
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After losing this year's grand final to Golden Square by six points, the Dragons lost the league's premier ruckman Hamish Hosking and had club favourites Lee Coghlan, Matt Thornton and Andrew Collins depart.
Any question marks about their ability to reload for another tilt at the title in 2024 were put to bed by the signing of key forward Fergus Greene straight from AFL club Hawthorn and Lachlan Tardrew's decision to play at the club full-time instead of continuing his VFL career with Collingwood.
Throw in two more quality key position recruits in Will Wallace and Matt Campbell and the Dragons, on paper, have the most potent team in the BFNL.
Sandhurst co-coach Ashley Connick has been around long enough to know that the Dragons can't afford to look any further than next week's start to pre-season training.
"Our mantra for the last five years has been to be better every pre-season and this year will be no different,'' Connick said.
"If you keep doing that you keep putting yourself around the mark and you'll eventually get one (a premiership).
"We were really close this year, but everyone starts from the same starting point next year.
"We want to be a better club and a better team. We don't need to add too many players because we think we have some really good junior talent and there are a lot of good players in our reserves side that should be senior players.
"They'll see an opportunity to come in. It's shaping as a really good side, but you have to put the work in. Every other side is trying to get to where we want to get to.
"It's an interesting year coming up."
The biggest winners out of Greene's signing were Sandhurst key forwards Cobi Maxted and Lachlan Wright.
Greene will take the number one defender each week, easing the pressure on the young duo.
"It's likely there'll be a lot of attention on Ferg,'' Connick said.
"That might free up Cobi (Maxted) to do his thing and Lachlan Wright was our leading goalkicker this year.
"Bryce (Curnow) might spend some more time forward or maybe even Will Wallace and Matt Campbell.
"You have to have six dangerous forwards and that's what we want to create.
"Joel Wharton had a year from hell this year. He did his calf first, then did his hamstring and then did his quad.
"Every time it looked like he'd get back to his best form he'd do another injury.
"He's capable of kicking 30-40 goals which adds another string to our bow."
Maxted will play with Sandhurst full-time in 2024 after electing not to trial with Collingwood's VFL squad.
The key forward has all the attributes to become a star of the competition.
"Cobi had zero luck this year.
"He broke his thumb in round two, he had tendons in his hamstring that were rubbing and just as he started to come good he had a bad break of a finger.
"He persisted through that and kept playing. When you have a broken finger on one hand and a broken thumb on the other hand it makes it hard when you're a marking player.
"Hopefully, he can have an even run (with injury) and he'll have a big year."
Classy midfielder/half-back Cooper Smith, who was aligned to North Melbourne's VFL side this year, has had shoulder surgery which could delay the start of his 2024 season.
