After narrowly missing a finals berth last season, the team which has long been renowned for its gutsy youth will strive to finally shake the tag of an up-and-comer and make the transition into a genuine finals contender.

It will do so with reigning league best and fairest Levi Dare at the helm as coach.

His brother Joe, whom he shared Maskell Medal honours with as part of a four-way tie in 2012, is also back at Bomberland.

The former AFL-listed footballer is working his way back from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, as Levi did 12 months earlier.

The coach said Joe could make a big impact across a number of roles for the Bombers this season.

“If he’s forward, he could kick 100 goals. If he’s a defender, he could stop 100 goals. If we play him in the midfield, he could create 100 goals,” Levi said.

“He’ll be limited earlier, he might just play as a forward and then we’ll ease him into more of that key position, whether it’s in defence or even in the midfield.”

The Bombers drastically tightened up their defence last season, going from the team which conceded the most points in 2015 to the fourth stingiest defence.

They slashed their average points against per game from 112 to just 75, and improved their scoring from 64 points to 74.

Levi said there would be some more tweaks to the game plan with the change of coaching, but was keen to build on the foundations put in place under outgoing mentors Wayne Robertson and Paul Foster, both of whom remain at the club.

“We’ll start with a defensive mindset, but once we win the ball, it’ll be a fast attack of the ball with our speed,” he said.

“Where we faltered last year was we’d attack very well, but we wouldn’t switch to defend fast enough.

“(But) I think there’ll be just a general improvement in the game plan and the way we go about it.”

The draw

R1: Portland (A)

R2: North Warrnambool Eagles (H)

R3: Hamilton Kangaroos (A)

R4: Camperdown (H)

R5: Warrnambool (H)

R6: South Warrnambool (A)

R7: Koroit (H)

R8: Port Fairy (A)

R9: Terang Mortlake (H)

R10: Portland (H)

R11: North Warrnambool Eagles (A)

R12: Hamilton Kangaroos (H)

R13: Camperdown (A)

R14: Warrnambool (A)

R15: South Warrnambool (H)

R16: Koroit (A)

R17: Port Fairy (H)

R18: Terang Mortlake (A)

2016 best and fairest

1st: Levi Dare

2nd: Brody Mahoney

3rd: Jack Hutt

2016 most goals

1st: Jesse Williamson 19

2nd: Dom Dare 18

3rd: Lincoln Dare 17

Arrivals

Joe Dare (GFL), Leigh Evans (Dennington), Nick Harding (CDFNL), Ben Harding (CDFNL)

Departures

Johno Benallack (CDFNL), Sam Harkin (Kolora-Noorat)

Player to watch

JOE DARE: The past Maskell Medallist rejoins his four brothers at Cobden Recreation Reserve as he makes his way back from a torn anterior cruciate ligament injury. The Bombers will be spoilt for choice with where to play the utility, who can create equal headaches for opponents whether he plays forward, back or through the midfield. He will ease his way back into competitive football, but could make a big impact.