Boyd said he and selectors had identified a need for more bowlers to be included in the squad after losing last year’s division two grand final to Leongatha in a rain-affected game at Albert Park.

“We were a bowler short,” he said.

“We’ve eradicated that this year. Our batting stocks are as good as last year and we made some good scores last year.

“We have some young blokes who know how to run between the wickets and cover the ground in the outfield.

“If we can get some quick runs and cut 15 to 20 runs off in the field, it will be a good start.”

Boyd said he was looking forward to having the variety of young leg-spinner Matt Brophy and a host of medium-pacers, including Merrivale’s Wil Chapples, Woodford’s Hank Schlaghecke and Jacob McKinnon, to back up his experienced front-line attack.

“I wouldn’t say it (the bowling line-up) is stronger but we’ve got more options,” he said.

“Looking at it, we had an extra opening batsman last year and could have done with another bowler.”

Boyd said the squad’s hopes were high.

“The expectation is to deliver on what we started and that is to get into the final,” he said.

“We got there last year. Hopefully we can have a clean sheet on Thursday night so we don’t have to worry too much about making it.”

But he recognised Monday’s opening encounter with Bairnsdale would be crucial to his side’s chances of making the final. “We are looking for an even contribution,” he said.

The WDCA’s squad includes five new faces from last year, with Schlaghecke, McKinnon, their Woodford teammate Nick Butters, Chapples and Wesley-CBC batsman Brad Pattison to make their Melbourne Country Week debuts.

Leg-spinner Brophy is on his second trip to Melbourne but did not play a game in his first tour, suffering a severe bout of food poisoning.