Captain-coach Mitch Crawford is confident some fresh additions can cover for a host of losses from last year's premiership squad as Newcastle City chase back-to-back men's Black Diamond Cup titles in 2024.
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The defending champions were due to kick-off their campaign against 2022 premiers Killarney Vale on Saturday, but Hunter Central Coast AFL has postponed all round-one matches.
When City do get underway, Crawford, who has taken over from Mitch Knight as coach, will lead a somewhat new-look side after more than half a dozen departures following last season.
The likes of Anthony Baker, who won the Garry McBain Medal as best-on-ground in last year's grand final victory over Terrigal Avoca, along with Daniel Steele, Liam Tutty, Nick Anderson, Jacob Findlay, Harrison Selkirk and Isaac King have all moved on.
"We still have pretty much the same core group," Crawford said ahead of his side's opener at Adelaide Street Oval. "There's about eight guys missing from that premiership team.
"Jacob Findlay got an offer to play down in the Tassie state league ... a couple of other boys are playing back down in Canberra and a couple of others moved away for work and stuff like that.
"We've been lucky enough to grab a few guys from Victoria who moved up for work, and then a couple of RAAF guys as well. They've fitted in really well and I think they'll be pretty handy replacements for the quality guys that we did lose."
One new arrival is Jason Pongracic, who made his 100th appearance in the VFL last year. The 30-year-old has played for Williamstown and Frankston but spent a few years living overseas during COVID. Crawford said the midfielder had essentially turned up unannounced looking for a game.
"That's obviously a pretty high level," he said of Pongracic's VFL experience.
"He moved up here last year for work and came down and watched the grand final at No.1 [Sportsground] and thought that this was the place he wanted to play.
"He's been pretty handy, not even trying to go out and recruit him, he just kind of landed on our doorstep."
Crawford, who coaches for the first time at senior level - after being crowned the Black Diamond Cup's best and fairest in 2023 - said winning a consecutive premiership was the goal for 2024. City have won four titles in the past 10 years, but haven't gone back-to-back since a four-peat through 2008-11.
"Every year, playing for Newcastle City, the goal is to win a premiership," he said.
"It would be good to go back-to-back, it hasn't been done since the four-peat."
The other postponed games included Cardiff's away game against The Entrance-Bateau Bay and Maitland's trip to face Terrigal-Avoca.
Warners Bay had a bye, while Nelson Bay have gone back to second grade.
