The bosses of Canberra clubs Belconnen and Eastlake last week called for greater equalisation measures to deter players moving between different leagues after a higher than normal number of capital-based stars signed with Riverina and Farrer League clubs for this year.

The Goannas have been one of the prime movers in this area, attracting the likes of Ryan Turnbull, Sam De Sousa, Chris York and Dom Bunyan from the Canberra competition.

Rowe isn't hiding the fact the club is desperate to win its first Riverina League premiership and end the competition's longest flag drought.

But as a former Belconnen head coach and assistant at Canberra Demons, he's confident he has hand picked the right ones who will immerse themselves in the club on and off the field.

"The guys we've recruited, in negotiations we've had with them I can honestly say hand on heart that money is the last thing they've cared about. It's an added bonus for them, but they're coming to experience something different before their careers are over," Rowe said.

"Money is a big part of it, we're not trying to play dumb there's not financial incentives for players these days, but they're intrigued by country footy where communities get behind the club, having a nine team comp where you only play everyone twice... these are other attractive reasons.

"I've coached all the guys who are coming to us from Canberra, and I'm excited to have them here as people not just footballers. Some of them are the best club people I've witnessed in all my time in footy.

"They're coming down the highway to help us win games of footy, but also be positive parts of our club on and off the field.

"As a travelling player that can be limited, but you can engage with the footy club and have a high care factor about our success, and I know those guys will be as engaged as anyone that has grown up in the place.

"When you're looking at guys at the back end of their careers like Chris York and Dom Bunyan, you could mount a case they might be retired if they didn't have a new challenge to take on. Every situation is different, no one's out to weaken anyone else or be malicious in their intent, but I think the situation with travelling players shouldn't be treated on money alone."

Officials are keen for clubs to nurture their junior pathways, and as a result players recruited from the AFL Riverina Premier competition and AFL Canberra could be worth an extra point on their player points systems next year.

Rowe said recruitment and development can co-exist if clubs find the right balance, and the right recruits could even enhance the growth of juniors.

"Obviously I love the idea of the league being at the highest level it possibly can and having a handful of travelling players come from whatever region is equally as important as clubs putting time into their development pathways and their juniors. They can run alongside each other really successfully," he said.

"It's happened the other way in the past, we've lost players to other areas and you support that because at those stages they were leaving to play at a higher level of footy.

"The wheel will turn and everyone will have their go but if Farrer and Riverina League are having some luck attracting travelling players, good on them.

"If you're getting the right people down then they help your juniors and build relationships and impart their knowledge on them. It's a two way street if you get the right people.

"I loved my time in Canberra and I only ever want the best for their competition and the teams I've been a part of. The last thing we want people to think is players are only coming down the highway for money.

"At no stage do you want to feel like you're working against each other, because it's certainly not what we think we're doing."

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Rowe said the club won't treat their premiership drought as a burden, but as an opportunity to go down in club folklore.

"We're at the point where we can't shoot for anything less and it's not as if we're being bullish or arrogant, it's just we would be kidding ourselves if we're aiming for anything less than a premiership," he said.

"We think once we get the monkey off the back the club could turn its fortunes around, but until we do that we're always going to be the club with the longest drought in the competition. Only getting it done will fix that.

"Even though we played finals (last year) we make no qualms about the fact that we thought by the end of the season we were a fair way behind the top sides. But we think it will be close this year and there may be five or six challengers (for the premiership)."

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