Catch us if you can.So says Sunbury coach Rick Horwood, who has challenged his flag-winning flock to handle being the Ballarat Football League hunted after snatching the spoils from Redan last year.
And Sunbury, amid the inevitable increase of its premiership players' financial pulling power, has managed to keep its 22 grand finalists and three match day emergencies at Clarke Oval.
Only guns Jay Cheep and Simon Clarke ever truly contemplated leaving, the latter defecting but later returning, while Sunbury has added more firepower in Coburg Tiger Andrew Duhau and Calder Cannon Jack Sheahan.
"You have to improve because others do. If you stay the same you'll get swallowed," Horwood said.
"We need our senior core to be invigorated; not to be content that the job's done."
Darley leapt from the doldrums in Rod MacPherson's first season at the helm and the Devils will ask questions of the top rungs after luring promising Kyneton trio Shane Page, Rhys Ellis and Michael Clancy.
"When we did our list analysis at the end of the year we knew we were three or four good players off really competing once it's dry on the ground and good weather in September," MacPherson said. "We've tried to be pretty smart about the players we've recruited. They're all 21 or 22. Ellis is tall and gives us another option in the ruck."
And although the crosstown grudge match won't quite yet hit the heights of years gone by, Bacchus Marsh has indicated its intent, and earned a headline or two after announcing Doug Hawkins as coach. And the revered Hawkins has not taken a backward step.
"I'll be shocked if we don't play finals footy this year, I'll be absolutely shocked," Hawkins said when signed.
A Melton-Melton South stoush is hardly news, but the crosstown missiles are packing an extra punch after Craig Searle left Melton to become a Panther and Matt Notman fled Panther Park for the Bloods.
Notman headlines a host of additions to coach Bob Heaney's stable, while Melton South has welcomed Trentham pair Corey and Dion Lawson, as well as Marcus Kellett of Keilor.
And, a little farther down the highway, Redan has lost superstar Jarrod Edwards to North Ballarat City, City also welcoming former North Ballarat Roosters Oliver Tate and Marc Greig.
Sunbury will play Melton on April 13.
