Thompson, who captained Heta in Wodonga’s 2004 flag and at Old Ivanhoe this year, revealed yesterday Heta was considering an O and M comeback to test his wares in the competition he felt he never “cracked”.

Heta’s stocks have risen dramatically since he left Wodonga at the end of 2006.

The athletic tapman 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 with the last kick of the day this year.

“He’s a slight chance (to return) — he’s still working out what he wants to do I think,” Thompson said.

“He played Victorian Amateurs state squad and a couple of really good years at Old Ivanhoe so he’s in big demand at the moment.

“I think he’s pretty keen to get home, he and Twitty have been pretty good mates for a while now and he’s got family up here as well.”

In July Heta told The Border Mail “I felt I never really cracked it” in the O and M, but Thompson said the 196cm, 104kg ruckman had developed into a vastly better player.

“He’s got a lot bigger and plays a lot different to what he used to,” Thompson said.

“He went well (in the O and M) — I mean, we won the flag and had a pretty good team — but I think he’s pretty keen to get home and be the No.1 ruckman and show what he’s all about.”

Meanwhile Thompson said he was excited by the chance to lift Wodonga past its three-year preliminary final hoodoo.

“Twitty’s a great bloke and it’s exciting to get behind him and try to take Wodonga that next step from third,” he said.