"I was with Tim Davis, and 2003 seems like a lifetime ago now," the incoming Gungahlin Eagles coach said of the last time his club lifted the John I Dent Cup.

"I actually played second grade that day. We got beaten in the grand final but we were there to watch first grade take the cup. That was actually my last official season of rugby as a player, I've been in the coaching ranks pretty much ever since then."

Carey fills the void left by outgoing coach Marco Caputo, having two years as an assistant in a role that effectively saw him become a co-coach.

Now Carey, who has led the Eagles to a pair of second grade premierships in recent years, will spearhead the first grade squad with Peter Altona as his assistant in search of success.

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"That's the pinnacle for us, obviously it's been a while," Carey said.

"We've been thereabouts the last few years. The minor grade premierships are excellent but each club is really interested in that first grade premiership so that's the next step for us.

"We've had a very young squad for the past few years and we've been able to keep a couple of the older guys around, Matt Hawke and Brendon Taueki in particular ... but the rest of the squad is pretty young.

"We've also got a pretty good colts team so a few of those guys will push up the grades next year. The young backs we had in the season just gone were pretty exciting."

The Eagles will lose No. 8 Tamati Ioane to the Melbourne Rebels, flyhalf Joey Caputo to Italy, and outside back Tom Haddad to Japan, while front-rower Oscar Cunningham is on a short-term deal in Portugal, but Carey believes there is plenty to be excited about.

"We have a pretty young roster and we're hoping to get the community right behind us out here in Gungahlin. We've got a good junior club, we've strengthened our ties with the junior club," Carey said.

"We're looking to push a lot of our senior players to get involved with the coaching side of the juniors and give back into the community."

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