Nick McCormack, the Goannas' 2018 best and fairest winner, is the bigger body at the stoppages the club was craving after recruit Lachie Highfield eventually opted against joining from Queanbeyan.

Key defenders Isaac Damme and Matt Collins, members of the club's 2014 and 2015 grand final teams, also return, while utility Connor Quade, who played one senior game for MCUE in 2019, is back after he played for East Wagga Kooringal this year.

The signings help replace some of the height they have lost since the Goannas won 13 of 15 games this year, including ruck Sam De Sousa and key forward George Kendall.

Damme played for Mingenew in this year's North Midlands Football League grand final in Western Australia, while McCormack played for Sydney club Inner West.this year.

Collins has featured on MCUE's list for the past two seasons, but COVID regulations and injury has restricted him to just three games over that period.

"There's not too many things better than when you welcome guys back to the club, because they've already got those pre established relationships and people get excited when good people come back," MCUE coach Jeremy Rowe said.

"Matt and Isaac are Mango through and through, and came up through the junior pathways. And not many have a better record at our club than Nick, he played two years with us for a best and fairest and runner up (2019).

"They tick boxes we needed to fill. Nick gives us an aggressive bigger body at the stoppages which is what we needed, and Matt and Isaac add height and flexibility to our team.

"I believe Matt is an A-grade key defender in the RFL and also Hunter Lloyd. Both of them have the ability to play either end and with George (Kendall) leaving, we'll certainly need to see one of them up forward at different stages.

"Isaac gives us another tall utility as well.

"In the RFL he's done most of his best work coming off halfback, but he played a lot of key forward as a junior and played centre half forward and wing in WA."

Rowe said they would put faith in teenage ruckman Zac Hanrahan to step up next year, and also rely on their versatility to help compensate for Kendall's departure to SANFL.

But the fact the recruits all rated one-point players under the player points system is another big advantage.

"They're all one point players, and in this day and age that's like absolute gold," Rowe said.

"They put our list in a position where it looks very strong, but the fact they're one point players opens some doors for us to capitalise on that.

"We were never going to be incredibly active in a recruitment sense, but getting these former players back opens some doors, and we're hoping to add one or two more to our list over the next fortnight.

"We're not chasing a centre half forward or a ruckman, we want to back Zac Hanrahan in to do the ruck job for us and we'll throw support around him with some more experienced heads.

"I don't think we need to bring a centre half forward in, we can use that versatility we've got.

"If we can bring in someone who plays a bit closer to goal, about 30 metres in front of Trent (Castles, full forward), which makes it hard for teams to peel off and double team him, we'd look at it."

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