Craigieburn is looking to regroup after a tough Essendon District Football League premier division season.
The Eagles went without a win this year after coming up from division 1, hurt by a number of premiership players leaving the club and key injuries to others.
Eagles coach Peter Bugden said while it was a tough season, a number of their younger players would benefit from the experience gained in the top division.
“We survived premier division football,” he said. “Yes we have gone straight back down, but we lost eight premiership players when we went up.
“We had major injuries to Aaron Kite, Ryan Bongetti and Josh Young. We were in games for quarters and halves. We just didn’t have the frontline talent across the board.”
This off season has been a very different one, with the Eagles busy on the recruiting front.
Heading back to division 1, they have added several players, with 15 having already put clearances in to join the club.
Bugden said he hoped there would be another two or three big names to come.
Dean Limbach and Shannon Smith lead the signings for the Eagles. Bugden said Limbach, who was drafted by Richmond and spent time playing in the VFL, would provide a key target up forward, while Shannon Smith would help provide leadership.
Others to put in clearances are Jack Chapman, Aydin Kesici, Adam Bardan, Nathan Bourke, Luke Chapman, Benjamin Gibson, Josh Dall’Est, Boston Haehae, Rick Williams, Beau Vowles, Jesse Martini, Salvartore Scuderi, Giordano Scuderi, Liam Middleton and Korey Kesici.
Bugden said the man doing all the hard work behind the scenes is Lance Whitnall.
Whitnall, a former AFL player, has joined the club as its senior football manager and will also be an assistant coach.
Bugden said Whitnall deserves a lot of credit for the new signings. Former Epping and Mernda coach Steve Power will also be part of the coaching set-up.
The Eagles have lost Jeremy Page and Josh Young. Page is returning to his old club Whittlesea where he is nine games away from life membership, while Young has moved to EDFL rival Jacana.
In another good sign, the club will also have an under-19 team, again after failing to field a team this year.
Bugden said they already had 24 players interested in playing in the under-19 side.
