Big boost for Coolamon with experienced AFL Sydney captain signing on

The Hoppers have snared the signing of St George captain Ben Hodgson, who will join his Dragons teammate Tim Coenen at Kindra Park this season.

Hodgson arrives at Coolamon with 129 games of premier league experience in Sydney, where he's not only established himself as a leader at St George but one of their best midfielders.

The 29-year-old has created a big impression in a couple of trial games at Coolamon over the last two pre-seasons and new Hoppers coach Gavin McMahon is rapt to have Hodgson on board.

"Given the status of our group and our list with lots of emerging players based on what's happened in our off-season, the key for us was always to add a ruckman, add a key back and potentially look at a key forward or an elite mid so we've ticked the box there and ended up with an elite mid, which we're pretty excited about," McMahon said.

"He's a 29-year-old whose only ever played at St George.

"Every time he's played a trial game at Coolamon he's brought his own footy from Sydney.

"He's an elite fitness fella. He clearly knows his craft and will have a lot to offer for our emerging boys as well."

It's been a character-building off-season at Coolamon with McMahon estimating close to 30 player departures.

But they've added a much-needed ruckman in Adian Ledson and now some class in key defender Coenen and an elite midfielder in Hodgson.

McMahon said the two late recruits from Sydney have been a timely boost for the playing group.

"Absolutely. Our leadership group were all involved in having a chat to him and helping him get a feel for what we're doing so it's a huge boost," McMahon said.

"We finally got a genuine 200 centimetre ruckman for the first time the club's had one since Benny Edyvean back in the day, and he probably wasn't 200 centimetres, whilst he had a good go, but that was pretty significant and these two Sydney fellas on the back end of it is a nicely timely little boost going into our first trial.

"It's been a very much considered approach to what we've done in the off-season. We haven't panicked around the boys leaving, it's given us the opportunity to create and we've been very particular around what we've tried to add to our group.

"We see the core of our next premiership side already there so we're just trying to add to it."

Coolamon will have their first trial game against Finley on Saturday week, before having a second hit-out against North Wagga the following week.

All three recruits will get a good taste of the Riverina League straight up in round one with the Hoppers taking on arch-rival Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong at Ganmain Sportsground in a standalone Sunday game.