It's set to be a new-look GIANTS side in the NEAFL this year after the club underwent some big changes to their AFL list at the end of last season.

So much so that 2016 premiership-winning coach Brad Miller says the defending NEAFL premiers aren't defending much at all.

"Because there are so many new faces," Miller explained after the pre-season loss against Sydney Swans on Friday.

"We lose five or six directly out of that grand final team (to trades) - we get a whole new batch of young kids come in.

"It's basically a whole new team. We might have a few that played (in 2016) but we're starting afresh and trying to implement the things that we've been working on over the summer.

"Hopefully that'll evolve over the season like it did last year and hopefully we're there abouts again."

And being thereabouts is certainly something NEAFL fans can expect of the GIANTS in season 2017.

The loss of players such as James Stewart (Essendon), Jack Steele (St Kilda), Rhys Palmer (Carlton) and Jake Barrett (Brisbane) has been offset by the arrival of plenty of quality, including former Fremantle pair Tendai Mzungu and Matt de Boer. 

Although Mzungu and de Boer are eyeing off a spot in the AFL side, their impact on the younger members of the GIANTS squad is already being felt.

"You would have seen Tendai today, he's an absolute pro," Miller said of Mzungu's eye-catching display at Tom Wills Oval in the pre-season.

"And we had Matty de Boer, who was helping out coaching the forwards. Who again, their attitude and character as people is first class.

"So they're going to really help us, whether they play for us or they play seniors."

Another player to impress in their pre-season clash with Sydney was GIANTS Academy product and 2016 first-round draft pick, Harry Perryman.

"(He's) been off the half back line and we used him through the middle today and I think his eyes lit up," Miller said.

"(I was) trying to talk to him about structures and he just said 'Oh I won't worry about that Millsy, I'll just go and get it'.

"So it was really good. He got to have a run around on the ball, which he might get a look at throughout the year, but it was just good for him.”

The GIANTS have a weeks’ rest before taking on Sydney University at Tom Wills Oval on March 25 in the last round of NEAFL practice matches.