Selectors have invited 25 players to trial and there are plenty of opportunities, with seven players unavailable from the side which placed fifth in the national championships last year.
"Losing players is just the nature of netball in Dunedin, really," Otago coach Deb Tasi-Cordtz said.
"They are here for three or four years while they are at university and then they are away. That is the frustrating bit. We do get to hang on to a couple but for seven of them, it was their time."
Defender Jess Moulds' decision to move to Auckland and link up with the Northern Mystics has robbed Otago of one of its most talented players, and an injury will prevent Southern Steel midcourter Hayley Saunders fronting for the province for a third season.
Experienced midcourter Debbie Soakai (nee Hill) captained Otago last season but has moved to Japan with rugby-playing husband Alando. Her leadership will be missed.
Shooter Kirsten Craig is sidelined with an injury, while Emily Close (Wellington), Hannah Broederlow (Auckland) and Claire Kersten (Canterbury) have moved out of the region.
However, former Silver Ferns shooter Jodi Brown has made herself available. That will boost an attack end likely to include returning shooters Te Paea Selby-Rickit and Greir Campbell.
Athletic defenders Louise Thayer and Jaimee Power and midcourt dynamo Shannon Francois are the other returning players.
Despite losing so many players, Tasi-Cordtz remains upbeat about her side's prospects. Encouragingly, the Otago under-21 team beat Canterbury 60-59 in a thrilling final at the national age group championships last month and almost all of the squad has been rewarded with a trial.
Also of note is the inclusion of two Columba College pupils, Bridget Thayer and Sophie Napper.
"I'm thrilled with the success at under-21 level and a lot of those girls have played in the Lois Muir [Challenge] team. So a lot of that team culture stuff is already in place and we just need to see if they can step up to the big league."
Otago has built a solid record at the national championships over the past 15 years. It won the tournament in 1998 after it was runner-up in 1996 and 1997. It was runner-up again in 2002 and since 1996 it has finished outside the top four on only five occasions. Its worst result came in 2006, when it finished eighth.
Tasi-Cordtz believes the region has the talent to do the province proud.
"It is hard to know what the other provinces are doing until we see their team lists but, with the Silver Ferns unavailable, it is a level playing field.
"Last year we were fifth and quite comfortably fifth, so we would really want to push into the top four this year and who knows from there?"
Otago opens its campaign against Southland at the Edgar Centre on September 3.
OTAGO NETBALL
- The triallists
Shannon Francois, Jaimee Power, Louise Thayer, Kat Dimitrievska, Brigitte Hollander, Kelsi Patterson (University-Albion), Te Paea Selby-Rickit, Gina Crampton, Storm Purvis, Greir Campbell, Miaana Walden, Kate Shearer, Celina Ledgard, Teuila Fuatai, Emma Kirkpatrick (Southern), Grace Power, Sam Stewart (Phys Ed), Claire Adams, Harriet Arbuckle, Rachel Parker, Olivia Bates, Anna Pawson, Lucy Hartstone (Teachers College), Sophie Napper, Bridget Thayer (Columba College).
