The Lions, which are yet to claim a first grade flag in the BCA, have signed a string of players for the 2019-20 campaign.

Perhaps the most exciting addition is fast bowler Madushanka Ekanayaka, who has joined from Bacchus Marsh.

Ekanayaka is fresh off winning the Gisborne and District Cricket Association's best and fairest medal.

Another major recruit is wicket-keeper/batsman Anthony Taylor, who has officially made the switch from BCA rivals Napoleons-Sebastopol.

Taylor made 355 first grade runs for Naps-Sebas last season.

Englishman Harry Killoran will also return to the club in 2019-20. The top-order bat and off-spinner last played with Darley in 2015-16 when he made 267 runs and took 11 wickets.

Former West Indies international Danza Hyatt is another to have committed to a return.

Hyatt only started playing with the Lions in round seven last season and went on to make 527 first grade runs at an average of 65.9.

Other top signings for Darley include pace bowler Ashley Appleby (Werribee Centrals), all-rounder Rahmatullah Khwaja (Werribee Centrals) and batsman Graeme Bennett (Williamstown Congs).

New club coach Brian Wheelahan, who has taken over from former captain-coach Michael Alexander, is looking forward to the start of the new season.

"We are really confident we've got a list together that can do some damage but it's really important we start off well and are not chasing tail like we did last year," he told The Courier.

"The club and committee has done a mountain of work, now we have just got to put it together."