After finishing fifth in 2022, the Suns booked their long-awaited return to finals last August. It was the first time that the club's men's side has made the AFL South Coast finals series since 2017.

Shellharbour were beaten in their first semi-final, falling to Northern Districts by 14 points, however the experience left the players hungry for more.

Since then, it's been a good off-season for the Suns, who retained the services of head coach Dan Posch while also re-signing the core group of last year's side.

Harbour has one of the youngest squads in the Men's Premier Division, and Posch believes they will be better prepared for the 2024 season.

The Suns had the bye in last week's opening round and will kick off their campaign against the Wollongong Lions this Saturday, April 20 at Myimbarr Oval.

"It was a bit of an anticlimax for us, with the season kicking off on the weekend and we were sitting on the sidelines watching on, but someone has to get the bye first up," Posch said with a laugh.

"We've managed to keep almost all of our squad together from last year. We had a very young team last year, but obviously all of those boys are a year older and that's showing on the track, with a few of them in particular looking bigger, stronger and more mature as footballers.

"But, on top of that, we've got our fair new faces and I wouldn't be surprised if we had between four to six debutants in our game this weekend."

Central to Posch's plans this year is Brendan Cooper, who was one of their standout performers in 2023.

A former Suns U17s captain, he was able to take that next step up and perform in the Men's Premier Division against older and more experienced opponents.

"Brendan last year really developed into one of the premier midfielders in the Prems comp and he looks ready to take another step up this year. He's looked absolutely incredible in pre-season and I think he's really going to be a standout this year," Posch said.

"A few other young guys who I think are really primed to take a big leap into senior footy this year are Harrison Mcdonald and Cohen Deegan. We've also got some exciting new young talent, and brought in a few guys who are a bit older and what we really needed.

"But, for us, I think it's about us continuing to improve. From the start of last year to the end, we improved so much. Being such a young squad, another pre-season under the belt will go a long way for these young guys.

"It's also about continuing to gel together, incorporating these new players into the mix, and stick to the structures and plans that we've been drumming into the guys all pre-season."