The second-year Hamilton Kangaroos mentor will return to the court in 2017 after spending her first season in charge on the sidelines.

Lewis, who missed the season due to pregnancy, said having a year to adapt to the role in an off-court capacity broadened her views on game styles and tactics.

“I am glad I had the first season on the sidelines because it made me realise what I need to look for on the court,” she said.

“I can go in this season and I will have a better idea of what I need to look at.”

The Kangaroos will take a settled line-up into their fifth Hampden league campaign after wholesale changes to their 2015 grand final side saw them slide to second last on the ladder.

Glenthompson-Dunkeld goalie Eve Duckmanton is the only fresh face, while the bulk of the team, including youngsters Bec Langley and Teagan McIntosh, are expected to be more cohesive after a season together.

“They have got the experience now. Being so young and going in and not really knowing what to expect, we pretty much had to start from scratch,” Lewis said of the Kangaroos’ four-win 2016 campaign.

“Apart from me, we haven’t had any older heads come back in, so it’s more about the older lot of the younger girls stepping up and taking that responsibility.

“I think they’re more than capable of it, especially the way they finished last season. They’ve just got to have consistency each week, so if we can work on that and work on our game, there is no reason why they can’t make finals.”

Arrivals

Eve Duckmanton (Glenthompson-Dunkeld), Kelsey Lewis (maternity leave)

Departures

Rebecca Van Kalken (Dartmoor)

2015 best and fairest

1st: Rhianne Lewis

2nd: Tayarrah Morris

3rd: Bec Langley

Player to watch

KELSEY LEWIS: Accurate goal shooter who played well in Kangaroos' 2015 grand final loss to Koroit. Coached from the sidelines last year due to pregnancy but will slot back into the Roos' attack and complement new addition Eve Duckmanton. Leadership on the court will prove integral as they try and reclaim a finals berth.

Prediction

Justine McCullagh-Beasy says: Played with a vastly different team to their 2015 grand final outfit last year and slipped from minor premiers to second last. Have managed to keep the bulk of their list together this time around and have bolstered their attacking end with the return of Kelsey Lewis and recruitment of Eve Duckmanton. Bec Langley and Tayarrah Morris can also play in attack, giving the Kangaroos options and versatility. Will be interesting to see how far they go given the evenness of the Hampden league competition but should improve markedly on last season.