It will be Batten's fourth year in charge and third season, owing to the missed 2020 year due to COVID-19.

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He told The Courier he hopes to build a strong foundation for the club to move forward, including bringing more volunteers on board and getting the under 18 age-group back on track after not fielding a team this season.

"We're obviously in a tough period at the club, there's no doubt about that," he said.

"We had no 18's this year which is going to hurt us ... but the (rest of) the junior system is really good.

"To be successful continually, you need a bit of stability and you only get stability from trying to get your locals up to senior-level footy.

"We've just got no key position players. We've got a lot of good, young players coming through but they're all really light framed, inexperienced."

He added that while struggling in the win-loss column this season, the club saw the most numbers on the training track it's seen in 10 to 15 years.

Batten said he can see the light at the end of the tunnel for the Blues.

"Looking out our team and being in the league for a few years now, I know it doesn't really take much to turn a team from near the bottom to being really competitive," he said.

"You just look at your Dunnstown's and your Skipton's and Rokewood-Corindhap even, you can progress quite quickly if you get some players in that are what you need.

"If we got a centre-half-back, a centre-half-forward and a full-forward and one other good midfielder, I reckon we'd be pushing finals already, just from that.

"You just need those pillars in those right positions and then you're a good chance of winning most games."

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