Consecutive finals appearances has fuelled confidence the Seagulls can again be a top-five contender in 2017.

The group showed their mettle to win 10 of their last 12 rounds of the regular season to recover from an indifferent start and finish fourth last year.

Now, coach Brett Evans said the fitter, more driven Seagulls are ready to hit the ground running.

“All our players have probably got more belief than what they had this time last year,” he said.

“They know they’re good enough and, if they work hard enough, they can match it with those top teams.”

The Seagulls’ confidence will only be boosted by a targetted recruiting drive over the off-season that drew star big man Sandy Robinson, who had been plying his trade in the VFL, and former VFL and NEAFL defender Matt Sully, who originally played at South Warrnambool.

Robinson, who previously played with the Seagulls in 2013 and was best on in Hampden’s interleague win that year, has spent the past few seasons with Port Melbourne and Geelong in the state league.

Sully, meanwhile, is fresh off a stellar season with NEAFL club Southport that saw him named in the league’s team of the year.

Dennington premiership pair Kurt Smith and Jordan Scott have also crossed to Gardens Oval.

Evans said the club had also held onto the group that made it to last year’s preliminary final, where it fell less than a goal short of eventual premier Koroit.

“The belief is there in the group now (that we can be a contender), but we don’t want to be complacent with what’s happened in our last two years,” Evans said.

“We need to keep pushing forward. We need to make sure that everyone is switched on. We just have to keep reminding them how hard we have to work to keep at that highest level.”

The draw

R1: Hamilton Kangaroos (H)

R2: Warrnambool (A)

R3: Koroit (H on April 1)

R4: Terang Mortlake (A)

R5: North Warrnambool Eagles (H)

R6: Camperdown (A)

R7: South Warrnambool (H)

R8: Cobden (H)

R9: Portland (A)

R10: Hamilton Kangaroos (A)

R11: Warrnambool (H)

R12: Koroit (A)

R13: Terang Mortlake (H)

R14: North Warrnambool Eagles (A)

R15: Camperdown (H)

R16: South Warrnambool (A)

R17: Cobden (A)

R18: Portland (H)

2016 best and fairest

1st: Isaac Martin

2nd: Sam Rudolph

3rd: Dylan Gunning

2016 most goals

1st: Daniel Nicholson 49

2nd: Guy Phelps 36

3rd: Robbie Hare 28

Arrivals

Matt Sully (NEAFL), Sandy Robinson (VFL), Kurt Smith (Dennington), Jordan Scott (Dennington)

Departures

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Player to watch

MATT SULLY: The former South Warrnambool Rooster will play at his second Hampden club via the VFL and NEAFL. The star defender was named in the NEAFL team of the year last season and will be a formidable cog in what is already an impressive back six for the Seagulls. He brings with him experience from his time at Queensland club Southport, as well as in Geelong's VFL team.