It will be a younger side than last year with captain Jimmy Binks the oldest member of the squad at 26 years old, but feels his side will have what it takes.

With training allowed to start three weeks ago ahead of a start at the end of October, Binks has seen a really positive attitude.

"Having a bit more of a break after that (winter sports) certainly makes everyone a little bit more keen," he said.

"I think this probably trumps last year in terms of everyone's attitude at the start of the season, especially the young fellas, which is a major positive."

This year will see a bit of a new-look side, with Binks looking to give some of the up and coming C graders a chance to prove themselves in the first-grade side while the Panthers have also picked up Ben and Jack Rowston in the offseason.

"We are going with a pretty young team, and that is probably the best way to approach it now," he said.

"We had a bit of a crack at the premiership last year, so we will give the blokes a crack this year who have been knocking at the door.

"We have some really good C graders who are ready to step up, and we were pretty lucky to get the Rowston boys as well, so we should have a pretty strong young side.

"I guess the biggest goal is to get some of the younger boys performing in first grade. The likes of Michael Cudmore and Paddy Payne want to step up to the plate, and Noah Gaske proved himself last year, but it would be great for him to step up again."

Binks is tipping the Diggers side, who have recruited well in the offseason, and Hanwood as the ones to be heading into the season.

RELATED

"Hanwood are still going to be very strong. They have got a great culture there, but Diggers have really stacked themselves this year," he said.

"I guess they have a little bit of fire in their bellies last year in missing out the way they did in the finals. If they do everything right this year, I think they will prove to everyone just how strong they are."

As for a goal for this season for the Panthers, Binks would be proud of his side if they are able to finish in the top three.

"We can finish in the top three with the team that we have chosen to go with," he said.

"A big loss is Dan Bozic, who won't be playing at all this year, but then we have the inclusion of Jack Rowston, who can hit a ball just as well on his day."

The Panthers will start their season against Hanwood on October 30.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: