Keogh will replace non-playing coach Nathan McPherson at season's end in a coup for the Demons and their chances of climbing up the Hume League ladder in 2023.

Keogh was a premiership player at Wagga Tigers in his one season at the club in 2019 and has otherwise been a mainstay at MCUE, where he's played more than 150 first grade games for the Goannas.

The two parties confirmed the signing this week but Keogh did not wish to go into any great detail given his current focus is trying to land an elusive premiership at MCUE.

"I'm looking forward to coaching Lockhart but that's next season, and at the moment I'm 100 per cent committed to Mangoplah," Keogh said.

"I have had this coaching opportunity for a couple of years but I've put it off to try and win a flag here so that's my number one priority.

"So 100 per cent of my focus is on Mangoplah, until the end of the season and then I'll start looking at it more closely."

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Lockhart had also planned on waiting until season's end to make the coaching announcement, on Keogh's wishes, but confirmed the signing.

"We're really happy to have Tom on board for 2023 and we're completely understanding of his current position and Mangoplah's current position," Lockhart president Shane Tullberg said.

"We would like to stay out of that realm and let them try and achieve a bit of success moving forward onto the end of the year and not let that become the forefront. Let their season roll on."

Keogh, 27, represented Riverina League on a number of occasions earlier in his career and has established himself as one of the premier wingmen or half-backs in the competition.

He was the Goannas' best in their four-point loss to ladder leaders Collingullie-Glenfield Park last Saturday.

Lockhart will be looking to Keogh for a lift, having lost all 16 games this season with just two rounds remaining. The Demons were on the brink of going into recess earlier in the year but were confident the future was bright if they could battle their way through the 2022 season.

MCUE meantime are out to end the Riverina League's longest premiership drought and claim their first flag since 1993. The Goannas are going to have to do it the hard way from a fourth-place finish.

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