In an effort to go one better than their 2016 preliminary final loss, the Stawell Warriors have made one of the biggest off-season moves in the Wimmera Football League.
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The club has lured midfield star Sean Mantell from cross-town rival Swifts in a huge boost to its playing stocks.
However if other Wimmera league clubs were to focus only on Mantell, it will be to their detriment.
Newly-appointed coach Tom Eckel has taken the reins from Brad Thomas and with a plan to reach the pinnacle of the grand final, there has been a few big signings other than Mantell to help the list
Travis Graham has been recruited from Warrnambool and along with Brent Tuckey, will provide a new key forward option to add some fire power.
The only big loss other than Thomas has been David Morris from the backline, but apart from that pair, most of the list that played in 2016 has remained.
Eckel will also receive coaching support from Cam Kimber, while Jamie Back, Damien Joiner and Jackson Dark are all leaders at a club well established for a finals run.
There are also promising young players who will feature for the Warriors in 2017.
Jesse Barber, Ben Leong and Ethan Blake are improving in their second year while juniors Bailey Taylor and Paul Sommers are also staking a claim for senior football selection.
Five Minutes with Tom Eckel
What is the Warriors' number one goal this year?
We want to make the grand final, because losing a preliminary final was pretty disappointing. That is our number goal is, to make the grand final. Everyone plays to win premierships.
Have you made any changes for this season?
We have recruited in some areas that we needed to be better in. There were a few positions that were lacking. We tweaked our game style a bit, changed a couple of things that we thought we would improve on from last year, but the big one was recruiting players.
How do you feel about your first year in charge?
I have good people around me. The players that are on the field are good leaders.