FORMER Port Adelaide player Matthew Westhoff has signed with Wangaratta.
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Westhoff, the younger brother of Power star Justin, was lured to Norm Minns Oval through his friendship with Daniel Boyle.
The 198-centimetre key position player will be joined at the Ovens and Murray club by small Doutta Stars forward Robbie Hicks and former Wangaratta premiership player Liam Harrington.
Westhoff, 26, played six senior AFL matches after being drafted by Port Adelaide with selection 33 in the 2007 national draft.
He was cut by the club at the end of the 2010 season.
He played alongside Albury star Brayden O’Hara in South Australian National Football League Central District’s premiership team in 2008.
Westhoff spent this season with Tanunda in the Barossa and Light Football League and plans to relocate to the North East in the New Year.
Hicks has been a fine servant for Doutta Stars in the Essendon and District league and spent time on Richmond’s list after being picked up in the 2010 rookie draft.
He made three AFL appearances including kicking a vital goal against Adelaide on debut at the MCG.
Hicks, 23, will help inject some much-needed pace into Wangaratta’s line-up after running backman Matt Grossman decided to join Avondale Heights in Melbourne.
Magpie coach Mark Knobel said Westhoff, Hicks and Harrington would fill a void on the club’s list.
“I think they will be good for us,” Knobel said.
“We have a few older blokes like Judd and Daine (Porter) in the side and heaps of younger players so we looked to fill the gap in between.”
Harrington, who played in Wangaratta’s 2007 premiership, returns from Whorouly in the Ovens and King league.