History suggests the Eagles will have their work cut out when they start their National Touch League mixed open campaign in Coffs Harbour on March 10.

That's because coach David Stone can count on one hand the amount of successes the team have had in his two-decade-long association.

"A lot of people are underestimating us which I don't mind; I'm happy to go up there and be nobody's but we can come out of nowhere to potentially win the comp," he said.

The 2021 team is arguably the best in recent memory with Port Macquarie dominating the 16-person squad which has the right balance of youth and experience.

Experienced Port Macquarie trio Anna Gleeson, Tahney Luck and Beau Montgomery have all represented their country at World Cup level.

Gleeson even managed to be crowned player of the final in Australia's 8-0 thumping of New Zealand in May 2019.

Throw Port Macquarie clubmates Aston Pollard, Corey Lewis, Brent Nixon and Tyler Donovan into the mix and you start to understand where the quiet confidence is coming from.

They played integral roles in Port Macquarie's men's 20s NSW State Cup grand final success in December and will no doubt benefit from playing alongside those who have donned the green and gold previously.

"I'm always about the youth and the future of the sport and I always have been so I'm excited to see how the younger boys can transfer into an open division," Stone said.

The coach is well aware that men's 20s is a completely different game to playing in a mixed gender division.

"But some of them have got a chance to potentially go on and play Origin, so it's all about the development of the young kids," he said.

"A few of the older, mixed crew have recognised we need to help the youth so this area can go forward in touch football, so that's exciting.

"There's a bit of new flavour with a bit of old flavour and hopefully they mix well together."

The Eagles vast geographic area has contributed to their downfall in recent years with players from Forster up to the Queensland border and out to Narrabri all eligible for selection.

With the nucleus of the 2021 team coming from the Hastings, it looms as the Eagles' best chance at success.

"The reputation for our team could be very good; we are the underdogs but we've got the experience to go with the youth," Stone said.

"Eagles have always been a side that because we have such a big geographical area, we can't train together and we don't get the high-profile competition like the city-based teams do. We don't get the high-level standard.

"But we've got heaps of talented players in the area and now we can get them all together, who knows what could happen."

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