IMPOSING ruckman Hayden Heta will play alongside his brother, Dean, at Wodonga Raiders this year.
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After weeks of speculation over his playing future, Heta confirmed yesterday he would be crossing to Birallee Park instead of returning to continue his career at John Flower Oval.
Heta has spent the past three seasons playing with Old Ivanhoe.
“I have been playing with Dean in Melbourne and it really came down to that,” Heta, 31, said.
“I wanted that to continue.
“We played in the flag together at Old Ivanhoe in 2013 which was fantastic.
“It was a tough decision not going back to Wodonga.
“I had to make some tough phone calls to Hards (Dean Harding), Twitty (Jarrod Twitt) and Sam Maher but at end of the day I was keen to continue playing with my brother.”
Heta, who has played just over 100 matches for Wodonga, left the Ovens and Murray in 2010 and shapes as a vital inclusion for the Raiders as they attempt to climb back up the ladder.
Coach Daryn Cresswell said Heta had been a recruiting target.
“I think he will be enormous for the footy club,” Cresswell said.
“With Luke Visser being injured, young Nick Nott is going to need to some help and I think Hayden will really help bring him along.
“He’s a big boy and is the type of player we need.”
Heta made his debut for Wodonga in 2001 and starred in the Bulldogs’ 2004 premiership under Richard Bence.
He won the 2007 J. N. Woodrow Medal for the VAFA section-A best and fairest and was named co-captain of the VAFA section-A representative team that lost to the Victorian Country Football League in 2009.
“I have only just moved back to Wodonga,” he said.
“Cressa is a very hard task master and I think you need that.”