The former Chiltern coach has agreed to return to the Swans, three years after the club allowed Way to cut short his contract to coach his beloved Wodonga Raiders.

“As soon as I left Raiders, if I was going to play anywhere else it was always going to be at Chiltern,” Way said yesterday.

“Chiltern was good enough to let me go to Raiders when I was offered to co-coach there, so to play anywhere else would not have sat comfortably with me at all.”

However, Way said he was unsure how big is involvement will be at his new home.

“I’m definitely playing at Chiltern, I’m just not sure how much I’ll actually play,” Way said.

“I’ve got lots on at the moment in terms of work, family and all that.”

Way will play under two of his former charges at Chiltern with former Raiders Dane O’Neill (coach) and Tim Lamb (assistant coach) signing with the club in October.

The pair are aiming to lift the Swans from last year’s wooden spoon and Way is optimistic the club is on the right track.

“Hopefully we might surprise a few teams,” Way said.

“We’ve picked up a few handy players and there’s some good local kids who are getting involved again.

“It’s a terrific little country club and all it takes for a couple of things to go our way for training numbers to grow and the place will be abuzz again.”

Way, 33, is yet to train at Chiltern but said he was looking forward to returning to the field.

“I’ve really enjoyed just keeping to myself and training on my own but I’ll get down to Chiltern eventually.”

Way played over 200 games with Wodonga Raiders, including several years as captain and was co-coach with Paul Twycross in 2007-08.

Chiltern has also enlisted former players Wayne Shannon from AFLQ club Coolangatta and Terry Symonds from Wahgunyah as well as Ben Wardhaugh from Football Geelong.