Kotara – branded as the Kings – will be led by captain Joseph Davis, who made the move after chalking up a half dozen appearances for the Belmont Beavers earlier in the year.

The club also requested an extended playing roster, adding two additional members beyond the 10-player limit. The team’s finalised roster includes Laura Bailey, Tayla Baines, Issac Davis, Rebecca Humphris, Luke Mallet, Jacinta Mantle, Emily Mulhearn, Zac Oke, Jack Ward and Morgan Willis.

The Kings also picked up deep-court catcher Keely Duggan, who made the switch from the Waratah Cobras.

Shortland’s recruitment took a similar path, picking up former Beavers man James Billingham as their helmsman, before adding a host of rookie players.

The full roster will consist of Brady Ainsworth, Brady Deacon, Luke Deacon, Luke Fuller, Tom Loosemore and Nicole Sellen, alongside Billingham.

The season’s opening round will see the Kings come up against league stalwarts Raymond Terrace, who have been part of the competition since its inception. The Raccoons were a semi-finalist in the tenth season, and boast the NDL’s reigning most valuable player, Peter Goldthorpe.

Meanwhile, Shortland’s campaign will begin against Cooks Hill, who fell short of their finals objectives in the first season of 2018 when they were upset in the quarter finals by eventual runners-up Belmont.

Despite a disappointing end to the Cookers’ sixth season in the Dodgeball League, the club has made semifinals in five of their six attempts, and have been to the grand final twice – Shortland’s first test will be an interesting one.

Week one of the comp will also see Hamilton face Waratah in the longest-standing rivalry in the NDL, while Belmont will kick off their season with a match against Rutherford.

The two new entries will face each other in the league’s second week, on Thursday, August 9.

The league’s full fixture list is currently available online.