Mason Redman isn’t one for leaving things to chance.

Heading into his ninth season with the Bombers, the defender is feeling confident in the prospects of the current squad as it continues to gel with new recruits under Senior Coach Brad Scott.

Entering their second season under Scott, a full year of familiarity has allowed the side to adapt to a new game plan and buy into their new look as an on-field unit.

Redman told 3AW last week that the club’s leadership has started a ripple effect within the playing group, who are keen to make the most of their chances in 2024 and beyond.

“If you take a look at the landscape of the footy club between those 12 months, it’s in a much different spot. I have a lot of confidence in (CEO) Craig Vozzo and Brad Scott especially, and more broadly the playing group,” Redman said.

“It definitely does have a different feel to it in Brad’s second year at the helm. We think it’s been an off-season of continual improvement, that’s what we’re aiming towards anyway. We’ve got some good bang for buck with a relatively healthy list over the pre-season, which is a bonus and something that we haven’t necessarily had in the past.”

Redman’s faith in the group has stemmed from a strong block of pre-season work, with an emphasis placed on the players taking control of their year.

While excitement has been brewing at the NEC Hangar, Redman isn’t losing sight of the task that awaits come March as the Bombers look to improve off their 11-win tally from last season.

“We’ve got a vast majority that have really taken ownership of their own career. Heading into not only this year but the years to come, that’ll be something you’ll definitely see out of our group,” Redman said.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say we’re being over-exuberant with our talk. You’ve got to walk the walk and nothing’s guaranteed in football, there’s 18 teams chomping at the bit to get those eight spots in finals and hopefully we’re putting our best foot forward and leaving as little as we can to chance.

“The buck stops with us, really.”

The Bombers were a key player in the off-season period with strong trade and draft hauls, mixing key position talents such as Ben McKay and Nate Caddy with the versatility of winger Xavier Duursma.

In adding to their depth, the Dons have been able to trial players in different positions throughout the pre-season, with Nic Martin spending periods of match simulation behind the ball as a half-back.

Selection headaches will be welcome to Redman, who wants the back six as flexible as possible heading into round one.

“(Nic Martin’s) come down back in the pre-season and he offers something different for us. The competition has seen in the past two years how good he is offensively, and if we have other opposition forwards worrying about what he, Andy (McGrath) and myself are doing, it takes away from them,” Redman said.

“He’s lighting the track up and I feel like he’s really growing into getting a good balance between defence and offence, he’ll give us a different look back there.

“In the last couple of weeks, (Xavier Duursma’s) gotten into match practice and game simulation drills and he’s going really well, he’ll give us some good depth on the wing. It’ll be interesting to see how the team lines up in round one, but he’ll definitely be in the mix and pushing for a spot.”

Redman’s decision to sign a five-year extension with the club in 2023 provided a big boost to the Dons’ emerging core, showing the 26-year-old’s strong connection to the playing group.

As the 2024 season draws closer, Redman is hoping his confidence will pay dividends on the field.

“Every player’s in the competition to reach the ultimate and that’s one of the reasons I stayed. I have a lot of confidence in this group, hopefully that confidence will translate on the field in the coming years,” Redman said.

“We want to be the group that takes this great club to where it belongs and that’s at the pointy end of the competition.”

At the club’s Family Day this Saturday, Redman will be cutting his long locks for a great cause, looking to reach $50,000 in donations for Challenge.

Aiding families across the country suffering from children’s cancer, Redman is proud to be playing his part for Challenge and raising money for an important purpose.

“I’ve been lucky enough to see what (Challenge) do firsthand, they do a lot of great work in that space. It’s a cause that’s very close to home for a lot of families and I’m just doing a small part in raising a bit of money,” Redman said.

You can donate or read more about ‘Red Dog’s Big Groom' here.