The Swans missed out on finals footy by a slim margin in 2023, so they are determined to see their seniors back in the flag hunt.
The club has brought in a plethora of recruits to get the job done.
Swans chief recruitment officer Nathan Woods said the club was focusing on bringing in young talent and had identified a number of recruits from the 2023 Wallan under-19 premiership side.
“At the end of last season (2022), we lost a lot of older players when Kasey Duncan left the club,” Woods said.
“Our goal moving forward was to recruit younger players that we can build up.
“This season (2023) was a bit of a rebuild, so if we can continue to add a few kids to our list, hopefully, the more they grow, the more we grow.
“I think (Alex) Crnko has really flown under the radar as a recruit so far. He’s a really talented player, knows how to kick goals, and he’s done that in a really good Wallan senior football team as well.
“(Alex) Crawford is also a really talented kid; I think he was Wallan’s vice-captain when they won the premiership, so he’s obviously a good leader as well.”
Crawford was a versatile player upfront and in the middle of the park for Wallan.
Crnko kicked 45 goals for the premiership side, including five in the grand final.
The Swans have also scooped up three experienced players from Broadford Football Club.
Talented midfielder Braydon Hardstaff and young gun defender Declan Teohaere are sure to have the Swans flying, but the third former Roo will have the Avenel faithful desperate for the new season to begin.
Liam Lucas, the winner of Broadford’s last three senior best-and-fairest awards, will pull on the red and white in 2024.
The new Swan has featured in the AFL Outer East Team of the Year on numerous occasions.
Woods said Lucas would set Kyabram District League alight from day one.
“Lucas is a gun,” he said.
“He’s been Broadford’s captain the last three years. He’s an experienced footballer.
“He’s a huge recruit for us.
“Alongside Braydon Avola, he’s probably going to be one of the best players in the comp.”
The three-time club best-and-fairest winner and reigning McNamara medallist, Braydon Avola, was a standout player for the Swans in 2023.
So what’s better than one Avola? Two of them.
Corey Avola has been locked in for the full 2024 season alongside another brother of a key Swan.
“We had him (Corey Avola) for eight games last season, but we’ve got him full-time now,” Woods said.
“The kid can obviously play and having him full-time alongside Braydon is going to be huge for us going forward.
“Josh (Hoysted) did pre-season with us last year before he went back to Epping. He’s really excited to come up and play alongside Dylan (Hoysted).
“He hasn’t played senior footy yet, but he’s got the capabilities to, so we’re looking forward to that.”
Other Avenel recruits include Cody Lorenzi, who will return to the Swans after a short stint at Hawthorn Amateurs in the VAFA.
Up-and-comer Hugh Smith has been signed on from Seymour.
With the 2024 season still a way off, Woods said the Swans still had a lot of recruiting to do.
“We’ve retained about 90 per cent of our list,” he said.
“We’ve only lost two players at the moment.
“Aidan McSpeerin (heads) back to Yea, and we’ve lost Tom Tobin, who has moved to Queensland.
“We’ve still got a few recruits in the works. Mainly kids from the surrounding areas: Seymour, Broadford and Kilmore.”
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