The Crows have re-signed several of their local players already ahead of next year, including assistant coach Matt Rainbird, senior players Tom Meline and Mason Dryburgh, as well as Nathan Ryan and Ryan Grey.

The club won't be holding back when it comes to pre-season, with the hard work set to get underway from December 1 when the first training session is held.

New coach, former AFL player Sam Darley, will be in town for that first week of pre-season before making the permanent move to Leeton in early January.

Darley has signed on to coach the Crows for the next two seasons.

Leeton-Whitton was one of seven teams to play this year in what was a different looking competition as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The club welcomed back several former players, all locals, to the side in 2020, but the majority of those will be returning to the clubs in the locations they now reside in.

This was something the Crows always knew was on the cards.

However, that, coupled with the retirement of experienced veteran Bryce O'Garey, as well as former coaches Dan Muir (Tasmania) and Jade Hodge (Coleambally) heading off, means there are some gaps to fill.

However, senior player Tom Meline said the focus was on retaining the young talent already on board, as well as securing recruits where possible.

He said it was positive news many players had already signed on and were committed to getting pre-season underway.

"It's good to be able to get the group together early for pre-season and have Sam down here too," Meline said.

"Hopefully we can drag some attention down here come pre-season and get some of the boys down here.

"I know some have already started doing a bit, which is really good to see."

The Crows finished as runners-up this season and while no lofty goals of making a grand final in 2021 have been set, the idea will be to make finals and go from there.

That is why the hard work will be starting from December 1 as a group to start heading towards that goal.