GAME ON ELITE sports teams are always evolving and can change significantly in appearance, identity and ambition from season to season.
Australia's first and only elite level road cycling outfit, Orica-GreenEDGE, is no -exception, which will be confirmed when a new-look squad is announced today.
Heading into its fifth season, the team is becoming more cosmopolitan, which could also mean less homegrown - but that interpretation would probably buy you an argument with owner Gerry Ryan, who is rightly proud of what he refers to as the project's "Australian DNA". 
Ryan, manager Shayne Bannan and head coach Matt White are also making it a priority to -develop young Australian talent, which has always been the case with the heavy-hitting business and sporting entrepreneur.
The 2016 team will have 25 riders, 11 of them Australian, which is one fewer than last year in both respects.
In the team's first season, 2012, it had 31, with 17 forming an Australian majority.
Only a third of those are still wearing the colours, inclu-ding Australians Simon Gerrans, Luke Durbridge, Mitch Docker and Michael Hepburn.
Three of the originals - Herald Sun Tour winners Simon Clarke and Cameron Meyer plus Leigh Howard - are recent departures, as is veteran Brett Lancaster and internationals Adam Blythe, Jens Mouris, Ivan Santaronita and Pieter Weening.
The seven replacements -include three of Australia's most promising youngsters, Robert Power, Jack Haig and Alex Edmondson.
"At the heart, we are an Australian team. It's important for us to foster the country's best young cycling talent and we believe we have that in these three guys," White said.
"Rob and Jack are the only Australians in history to -podium at the Tour de l'Avenir and Alex has really stepped up a notch, his victory at the under-23 Tour de Flanders a particular standout and another first for an Australian." GreenEDGE already has an outstanding rookie in Caleb Ewan, 20, who had 11 wins in his first full season, including a stage of the Tour of Spain.
So far, GreenEDGE has never had an all-rounder capable of challenging for the General Classification in the three Grand Tours of France, Italy and Spain, but British twins Adam and Simon Yates and Colombian Esteban Chavez could change that, espe-cially with climbing specialists arriving to boost their support.
"One of the main reasons for the number of changes for next year is an expansion in the team's objectives after some breakthrough performances in 2015," White said.
The new look sits well with the riders, according to rising star Michael Matthews.
"You need European riders because having all Australians makes it difficult to get sponsors," he said.
Matthews said a "really -incredible" new culture had been built. "It has changed a little bit - not in a good way or a bad way, it's just changed - it is exciting to see where it is going." The riders will mix with fans at the annual Mitchelton winery public ride in Nagambie on Sunday,   November 22.
ron.reed@news.com.au @reedrw
ORICA-GREENEDGE 2016 AUSTRALIANS: Mitch Docker 29, Luke Durbridge 24, *Alexander Edmondson 21, Caleb Ewan 20, Simon Gerrans 35, *Jack Haig 22, Mathew Hayman 37, Michael Hepburn 24, Damien Howson 23, Michael Matthews 25, *Robert Power 20 OTHERS: Michael Albasini (Swiss) 34, Sam Bewley (NZ) 28, Estaban Chaves (Col) 25, Magnus Cort (Den) 22, Daryl Impey (RSA) 30, *Chris Juul-Jensen (Den) 26, Jens Keukeleire (BEL) 26, Christian Meier (Can) 30, *Luke Mezgec (Slo) 27, *Ruben Plaza (Esp) 35, Svein Tuft (Can) 38, *Amets Txurruka (Spa) 32, Adam Yates (Eng) 23, Simon Yates (Eng) 23 * New members Omissions: Adam Blythe, Simon Clarke, Leigh Howard, Brett Lancaster, Cameron Meyer, Jens Mouris, IvanSantaromita, Pieter Weening