Bombers intent on producing the goods

OUTS: Mitch Van Den Berg (Werribee), Brad Cox Goodyer, Josh Ponting (Geelong West), Ryan Worn (Hillwood), Cal Young (UK).

COACH: Zane Littlejohn.

LAST SEASON: Premiers.

NORTH Launceston premiership coach Zane Littlejohn knows that his side will be the hunted this TSL season, but welcomes the pressure that position brings.

The Northern Bombers have lost some key players from last year's grand final side including the likes of captain Mitchell Van Den Berg, leading goalkicker Brad Cox-Goodyer, midfielders Josh Ponting and Callan Young and defender Ryan Worn.

But they have covered those losses to some extent with recruits including dual NTFL Baldock Medallist Josh Holland, from Latrobe, and a group of Hillwood NTFA recruits in Tom Bennett, Jake Pearce, Josh Moore and Mark Walsh.

"As the hunted that's pressure we welcome as a footy club because it means we've won one and I hope we have it every year," Littlejohn said.

"We've spoken as a group that that pressure is going to come on us externally and internally, we've talked about what we have to do and the measures we have to have to be competitive in every game.

"We want to play finals footy and go deep into the finals again and that's our expectation now.

"The biggest difference between this time this year and last is that other external influences might have us in their thinking, whereas last year a lot of people didn't have us on their radars and thought we'd make the numbers up.

"We still have that belief within our group that if we do what we need to do and compete then we will win more games than we lose."

Littlejohn said the Bombers had retained a core group of premiership players and was confident they could again be a major flag contender.

"We'll be very similar - it's good to have a bit of a turn over of some players [although you don't want a big turnover of quality of players] but it sort of reinvigorated and re-energised the group.

"We have a couple of players who didn't play in the premiership and a few who haven't played TSL before, so that is good to keep our group honest and continue to drive our values and the style of footy we want to play.

"We've lost Brad Cox-Goodyer and he was our leading goalkicker last year with 48 goals, so that is 48 we have to find elsewhere, but we've worked hard on our structures and other avenues to do that."

Littlejohn's approach and mindset as coach won't change much from last season and he has retained the support staff around him that helped win the flag, with Adrian Smith to "suss out" the opposition, Will Tatchell to look after the forwards, Anthony Loone the midfielders and Paul Holmes the defence.

Brett Mansell will be in charge of communications and game analysis, Chris Whitford the midfield development coach, with Colin Lockhart in charge of the development league and Dean Smith the under-18s.

"We want to be there on grand final day and that's a priority," Littlejohn said.

"We have a system we want to tick off as as club before we get there and we know that's the end goal and we have some smaller goals we want to meet along the way.

"If we do that we will have a realistic chance of getting there and going back-to-back and that's why you play footy - to win them.

"The players have that in their sights, but they understand we can't have big heads and get ahead of ourselves - there are probably people out there who will think we will do that and that we were lucky last year, but we want to prove that we're not just a good side, but a great side and you have to win the two to be known as that."

Littlejohn said he was convinced the playing group had a positive mindset that they were capable of mixing it with the top teams and a self-belief that they were good enough to go back-to-back.

The loss of premiership captain Van Den Berg leaves something of a leadership vacuum, but Littlejohn was certain they had the calibre of players to fill the void.

While yet to announce Van Den Berg's successor, he said the leadership group was likely to be made up of players such as Andrew Cox-Goodyer, Taylor Whitford, Allan O'Sign and Ethan Petterwood (who were part of the group last year), with two new promotions in Jay Lockhart and Jack Avent who impressed last season with their roles.

"Mitch's biggest influence on our group last year was as our leader and Anthony Loone, who looks after our leadership group, has worked closely with developing our leaders and made sure we spread that load that Mitchell had and we had some really good leaders under him last year.

"We've got a style of footy we want to play and have adapted that a bit this year, but we won't throw the baby out with the bath water.

"We are the hunted and we want to make sure we stay there with the pack and produce the goods when the time comes."