Timboon Demons' Marcus Hickey and Panmure's Chris Bant will face each other for the first time, while Kolora-Noorat's Ben Walsh and Dennington's Mick Phillips get their first crack at trying to defeat the other.

Fittingly all four coaches will be playing this season. But only Bant will not be playing the first round due to a three-game suspension from his time at Hampden league club Terang Mortlake.

READ MORE: New Power mentor to bring a wealth of experience

For Hickey coaching seemed like a foreign concept at first. The ruckman has now adjusted to the role and is ready to take charge.

"At first it was a little funny but after the first few weeks once you get organised everything falls into place," he said. 

"The first game has snuck up but I'm confident and glad get going."

READ MORE: Star ruckman looking forward to leading from the front

Hickey, who replaced Mick Hunt in the club's top coaching job, knows the revamped Bulldogs are going to be a difficult task.

"I'm expecting a tough hitout," he said.

"We have't really had a proper practice match. We played Simpson and had a few boys miss it due to work but we've done some match sim and we're right to go."

The Bulldogs have had a host of leadership changes with Bant an assistant coach Paddy Mahony returning to lead the club, while Louis Kew was named as captain on Thursday night.

Walsh, who coached Power in a one-off game against Nirranda in the absence of former mentor Danny Finn last season, is excited to get his first season as senior coach up and running.

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