And season 2020 appears no different.

The Burras have secured the signature of high profile recruit Shylo Smith, who has been cleared from Western Region league side St Albans.

Smith is a two-time premiership player with Deer Park, a division one flag-winning captain with Doutta Stars and Essendon District league best and fairest winner.

He also appeared on season two of reality television show The Recruit, which offered the winner a place on an AFL list.

In 2015, Essendon premiership player Dean Wallis called on AFL clubs to take a look at Smith, who was then playing with the Doutta Stars.

He has spent the past two years with St Albans and looks set to be one of the most exciting new faces in the CHFL in 2020, if and when the season gets underway.

Competition is currently on hold until at least May 31 due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

READ MORE: Shortened season, finals series floated for Central Highlands league

Hepburn joint-coach Jason Olver said the Burras had been able to secure Smith due to a connection with Hepburn premiership player Aron Burns, who played with the club in 2017.

"We would have expected him to be in the top bracket of the players running around in the Central Highlands league for sure," Olver told The Courier.

Olver said it was expected that if the 2020 season never eventuated, Smith would be sticking with the Burras for the following campaign.

This year had been shaping up as a big one for Hepburn, which was beaten in the 2019 grand final by Waubra.

The Burras replaced head coach Clive Raak with the old guard of Shane Robertson and Olver and secured AFL Hall of Fame member Robert Walls to assist. Walls has recently moved to the Hepburn region and had been heavily involved with the club before the coronavirus shutdown.

CHFL president Doug Hobson told The Courier last week that early plans were in place for the season to be cut to 14 rounds and a cutthroat two-week finals series.

A best case scenario, Hobson said, would be to start round one on Saturday, June 13.