Brooks, who is a third-generation Old Collegians player, featured in all 18 games in 2022 and was in the team's best 10 times. The fourth-year plumbing apprentice said fitness, ball skills and the ability to control the football in defence were key focuses at Davidson Oval over the summer as the Warriors work to better their ninth-placed finish.

"We need to be a bit more consistent, we have really good games then bad games as well," he said.

Brooks, 21, said forward Harry White was one player looking strong ahead of round one, while a mix of experienced operators were helping younger players coming up through the ranks.

"We've had a good group of young kids around for probably four or five years and they're all starting to get a chance at seniors," he said. "It's pretty exciting."

Meanwhile recruit Jackson Creed, who has played at South Warrnambool, Dennington and most recently Redan in the Ballarat Football League, is impressing on the training track.

Senior coach Ben van de Camp said the utility's experience and foot skills set him apart.

"The biggest thing was his foot skills, his capacity to hold the ball and hit targets, that was significant," van de Camp said. "That's something we've been trying to work on from a club point of view. And above and beyond that, he's just a really good person. We think he'll be really good for us."

Old Collegians play a practice match against Caramut on Wednesday, with another to follow against Simpson.

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