Capalaba FC's preparations for the National Premier Leagues Men's season are well underway, with the club announcing several key re-signings as they plot a rise up the table.
Bulldogs' coach David McEvoy has locked in eight of last year's squad as he seeks to avoid a repeat of last season's final day drama when his side defeated Redlands United in a relegation decider.
The returning players include last season's captain and Best and Fairest Award winner, Tristan Hugo, who will again provide the muscle in the club's defensive line.
Further key re-signings for 2022 are last year's Coach's Player of the Year, midfielder Tim Morgan, and Players' Player of the Year, fullback Russell Parker.
They are joined by a raft of younger rising talents in recommitting to the Bulldogs, including goalkeeper Tomi Mesaric, defender Deng Deng, midfielder Omar Sidiqi and utilities Theo Karenzo and Matt Gordon.
Now in their third straight year in the state's top tier men's competition, the Bulldogs' task in 2022 will only get more difficult with the league reducing to 12 teams, further concentrating the state's talent pool.
To that end, McEvoy has conceded he is also looking to add new players to his squad to ensure his side can go toe-to-toe with the competition's top teams after recording a club-best 24 points in the last campaign.
"We want to be on the front foot next season and take it to every team from the start and not sit off," he explained.
"The higher up the leagues you go the more important scoring the first goal becomes, so we need to bring in players with more ability on the ball to bring down our turnovers."
He added that he only expects the standard of competition to increase as the NPL, and knock out FFA Cup, continue to go from strength-to-strength.
"The top four or five clubs are pretty strong, but they are also beatable, and there isn't really that much between the rest of the teams in the NPL.
"But it is ultimately going to be up to the staff and players to bring consistency every week and finish as high up the table as possible in 2022."
One player that won't be returning to the Bulldogs is midfielder Jakob Mudnic - last year's Star of the Future award recipient penning a deal with Brisbane Roar in recent weeks.
"It is great to see Jakob's hard work this season pay off and we wish him all the best at the Roar," McEvoy said.
