Darley has no issues with being the hunted this Ballarat Football League season.
The Devils are coming off a stunning premiership win last year in which they bulldozed their way through the finals series, leaving a path of destruction en route to claiming the premiership cup.
While most fans of the league are expecting a large target sign to be visible on the backs of the Darley players, nothing has changed for head coach Jarrod Edwards.
“Our mindset at the club the past few years has been that way anyway,” he said. “We have always had a feeling that for one reason or another every side wants to knock Darley off.
“In our minds, not a lot has changed from that. We have always felt we have been the side that everyone wants to beat.
“That is the same mindset we are taking going into this year.”
The Devils wasted no time strengthening their squad in the off-season, welcoming Mitch Banner to the group in November.
The 25-year-old was originally drafted to the Port Adelaide Football Club in 2008, playing 19 games for the Power across three years.
He then played VFL with Williamstown, winning a premiership with the Seagulls last year.
Darley has also managed to keep the majority of its 2015 premiership side, with Nathan Lyons, who is heading to the Essendon District Football League, one of only a few outs at the club.
Edwards said a key to the club’s success had been maintaining the continuity in its playing group.
“That is what we build our club and our culture on,” he said. “Our biggest strength over the last five or six years has been being able to retain guys. Guys generally don’t come and go.
“I think that was a big part of why we had our success last year. A lot of these guys have now had that extended period of time playing together.
“That gives them that opportunity to set some good foundations.”
The Devils’ development programs has also caught the attention at higher levels, with four players invited to undertake pre-season training with Geelong.
From there Jake Edwards was selected for the Cats’ 2016 squad and Luke Delahey and Leigh Spiteri were selected to be a part of the Geelong VFL development program.
Matt Inglis would have joined his teammates at the Cats were it not for a serious ankle injury sustained in a practice match that will sideline him for the year.
“Unfortunately, we lost one of our gun young kids in Matty,” Edwards said. “That is very disappointing for him.
“Speaking to those boys, what they have learnt from training in the VFL system is invaluable.”
The Devils will play one more practice match in the lead-up to round one when they take on Geelong Football League club Leopold on Saturday, April 2, at Leopold from 2pm.
The club will open its 2016 premiership defence with a home game against Melton South on April 9.
