Four-time Golden Square premiership player Adam Baird has cited personal reasons.

“I’ve known Bairdy for five or six years, he wasn’t a player that I just rung up, I’ve been chasing him for quite a number of years now,” Raiders’ coach Daryn Cresswell said.

“But due to family circumstances, he’s not going to be able to take up his contract with us.

“It’s come out of the blue a little bit, but I understand where he’s coming from, and family comes first.”

Baird will return to Golden Square.

He’s playing with Nightcliff in the NTFL, with Raiders’ star signing Brodie Filo.

Given Baird’s circumstances, there’s been speculation Filo won’t travel to the Border, but Cresswell says the Bendigo and NTFL medallist is definitely committed.

When Filo signed in November, Cresswell called him him as good a midfielder he’d seen at this level.

However, two other senior players in classy forward Adam Flagg and reliable defender Stewart Williams won’t be back.

Williams spent half of last season in Queensland on podiatry work placement, and has now gained employment in Tasmania.

“He’s a great clubman, he’s going to be missed, and he played some tremendous footy for us down back,” Cresswell said.

Williams proved a match-winner when he stopped a certain Craig Ednie goal in his return match.