After finishing the 2018 first grade season as runners-up for the first-grade competition, Jason Bertacco decided to step down with Agresta chosen to fill the role.

"They had asked Jason (Bertacco) and a couple of others, and they declined, and then they came to me," he said.

"I wouldn't say I didn't want to do it but with starting my own business time factor is a big thing but said I take it on and see how we go this season."

Having finished as runners-up for the past three season, Agresta said the work being put in now should help them come the end of the season as they look to retake the top position.

"It is obviously a driving factor trying to get back there again," he said.

"It is a long process but hopefully start from now and build towards the end of the year.

"We have had mid-twenties most sessions but the last couple of weeks have been a bit less due to vintage, but the numbers have been good.

"We have an under 17s team coming through, but I don't think there is going to be a comp for them so we will have to see if we are able to accommodate them."

Agresta was happy to see a return from some of the more senior players who had missed last season due to various injuries as they look to head out in 2019 with a different looking side.

"It has been more so players coming back," he said.

"We had a couple of guys missing with knee injuries from a couple of years ago, and obviously Andy (Gamble) will be back this year after his broken leg last season so we will have a lot more senior boys this year.

"Jason had a pretty hard time with what happened last year with guys going away and a lot of injuries, but hopefully we can keep everyone fit and healthy and give it a good crack."

The Hanwood side already has one preseason game under their belt after heading to Albury to play a couple of weeks ago.

"We only took 12 players just with vintage and that sort of stuff it has been a bit tricky," he said.

"We had a pretty decent side head over and managed to draw 1-all with Albury United. It was a good hit out for both sides. We had a couple of little niggles come out of it, but it is early days. It was good to just get a bit of a run under our belt after slogging it out for the last five weeks."

They will play their second game of pre-season when they travel across to Leeton on Sunday.

"Hopefully we will be able to take a pretty strong side over," he said.

"It's about getting minutes in the legs. We have a bit of a different side to the one last year, so it's about getting the combinations and work out our best way to play."