Former Port Adelaide and St Kilda defender Logan Austin has committed to the Tigers for the 2021 season.
Austin, who played 20 AFL games, will replace the hole in defence left by the reliable James Gledhill who has moved to Queensland.
Stroobants said he was thrilled to welcome Austin to the club.
He won’t be the only new player in Tiger colours with Harper brothers – Jordan and Lachie – having both committed for next season.
“As disappointing as it was to lose James, it’s fantastic we’ve been able to bring in a player of Logan’s ability,” Stroobants said.
“He will fill a key post for us in defence. We were looking to bring in another key defender even if James had remained with the club.
“I’m looking forward to seeing what he can add to our playing group.”
The Tigers held their final training session of 2020 on Wednesday and Stroobants said all the signs looked positive ahead of next season.
“We’ve had good numbers on the track most weeks since we started in mid-November,” he said.
“We started off doing just the one night a week but then ramped it up to two after a couple of weeks.
“There was a really good feeling around the place. I think everyone was just happy to be back.”
Stroobants said there was a stronger emphasis on enjoying everyone’s company on the training track when they did return.
“We wanted all of the boys to have a bit of fun,” he said.
“There were probably a few who didn’t touch a footy for four or five months during the shutdown period and that’s understandable.
“As a coach, there was no point in getting out there and flogging blokes and increasing the risk of injury.
“The main thing was getting back together and having a kick.
“Now we’ll focus on ramping things up after the Christmas break.”
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