Despite finishing fourth in their second division competition last year the Association has forced Dunsborough into the Premier League that will comprise only six teams this year.

The league will be made up of Australind, Hay Park, Bunbury United, Bunbury Dynamo, Busselton and Dunsborough with each club playing each other four times on a home and away basis. Each club apart from Dunsborough will field three teams filling spots in the Premier League, the Reserves and the Thirds with Eaton taking Dunsborough’s place in the thirds.

Dunsborough have also been promoted to the Premier league in the Women’s competition having finished second in the second division last year.

However, they will not field a reserve side and their place will be taken by Harvey.

“We have nothing to go on to determine how we will perform this year in the top competition,said club president Tony Plumb this week.

“I feel it is too early for us to play at this level, but I am hopeful that we will be competitive following the number of players we have signed on in the past few weeks.

“It is important that our second team do well and it appears that we have a good selection of veterans, youngsters and new faces from which to choose”.

Certainly in training Dunsborough have looked promising and in the Margaret River Carnival they impressed a number of neutral observers with some predicting that Dunsborough would not finish last.

Apart from the carnival Dunsborough, unfortunately, have had little match practise in which to meld the new players with the regulars.

New coach Geoff Holt will need a few matches to develop tactics and determine who will make up his first team squad.

Certain players who clearly have first team potential have yet to achieve full fitness and understand the other players around them.

One such is midfielder Neal Muckles who has only just arrived in Dunsborough having played for the English club Hartlepools.

A lot will be expected of newcomers Joe Pregnelj, Stuart Gidley and Graeme Copeman who will augment the well known qualities of Richard Olsen, Kieran Smith, Steve Palmer and Cid Richard.

Probably the biggest problem for the club is in the goalkeeping area where Craig Ryan, who joined the club late last season, is not available this year because of work commitments.

He arguably was the best goalkeeper in the South West having played for Sutherland in the NSW league.

Young Jake Thompson has put his hand up to fill the spot and performed well in the Margaret River Carnival, while former first team goalkeeper Paul Andrews has said that he will step up for the second team if they can’t get anyone else.