The team has just resumed training which will see first, second and third grades, and under 17s meet every Tuesday and Thursday at 6.30pm at Cranfield Oval.

Despite the Yabbies’ big finish in 2011 where first and third grades and the under 17s team were runners-up in the grand final, Luke said he’ll be taking a different approach this year.

“We have a very talented team, but it’s also a very young team. We finished strongly last year but we had an ordinary first half to the season, so we’ll be doing things a bit differently this time round to get the boys ready earlier,” Eldridge explained.

Last year saw five players in first grade undergo their Higher School Certificate which prompted all-rounder Tom Coupland to come home last winter during his university studies in Sydney to help out.

Tom will be returning to Sydney this season to play with the Gordon Rugby Club.

“The boys are lucky enough to play two pre-season games so our main focus at the moment is on skills and not so much games,” Eldridge said.

“Because we don’t recruit, we look at who we’ve got and go from there,” he said.

“We need to strengthen them up and get them ready – teach them the tricks of the trade. Some don’t realise how tough it can be out there.”

New club president and former first grade captain-coach Chris Maloney said the average age when he was playing four years ago was 35-years-old, however, over the last two years the average age has been 22/23-years-old.

Even Chris’ 19-year-old son has joined the first/second grade ranks.

“I think it’s great the younger generation is coming through - it gives us older players the chance to step aside and give them a shot,” Maloney said.

“We lost a few players over the last few years to work opportunities in other areas and now we’re starting to build it back up again,” he said.