The lure of playing under champion coach and player Simon O’Keefe is proving strong with some new and highly credentialed faces impressing on the track for the Eagles.

Former Deakin University coach and Koroit and North Warrnambool Eagles player Trent Anderson is on board, as is 2011 South Warrnambool premiership player Trent Harman.

O’Keefe has also recruited Brady Purcell and Alex White, two players that he coached during his tenure at Panmure.

While Purcell played at Panmure last year, White was back at Koroit but missed out on the Saints premiership team, of which O’Keefe was a key part.

White has tasted premiership success with Koroit. He was a member of the Saints team that won the 2009 grand final.

O’Keefe said he is thrilled to be able to land some high quality recruits.

“When I got the coaching job I didn’t set out to go and get a heap of players but the boys that have come in are really keen to be here so it’s great,” O’Keefe said.

“There is a lot of talent already at the club and what bringing these experienced blokes in does is it takes the pressure off the young blokes who have had to play key positions.

“I’m rapt with how things are going, the transformation since we started in November to now is unreal.

“It’s exciting to see the players learning so quickly what we are teaching them about the way we want to play.”

The club is training three nights a week at the Killarney cricket ground. 

Hawkesdale-Macarthur finished eighth on the ladder last season with seven wins and 11 losses.

Hawkesdale-Macarthur formed in 1997 and is yet to win a senior premiership.  

O’Keefe has a taste for success having coached Panmure to two premierships (2012-13) as well as being a member of four premiership teams at Koroit.