REIGNING premier Wagga Tigers have lured former junior Luke Gestier back to the club for the shortened Riverina league season.
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Gestier has spent the past three seasons coaching rival club Collingullie-Glenfield Park.
The strong marking forward led the Demons to the flag two years ago before joining Hume league club Holbrook over the summer.
Gestier said a connection with Tigers' premiership coach Troy Maiden led him to signing with the Tigers.
"I didn't really know what I was going to do after the Hume league scrapped its season," Gestier said.
"Troy was an assistant coach when I was at Corowa-Rutherglen and we have kept in contact since.
"Wagga Tigers is my junior club and I played in an under-18s flag and made by senior debut there.
"I was originally looking for somewhere to keep training and to keep fit and then the more I thought about it, playing a shortened season really appealed to me.
"So I signed for Wagga Tigers and am really looking forward to it."
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Gestier said he had no qualms about facing his former Demon teammates.
"I think with all that has happened this year with the coronavirus that things like that are irrelevant really," he said.
"I signed with Holbrook and it's only because of the circumstances that I will be playing against Collingullie.
"I think most blokes are happy to be able to have a kick this year."
Gestier spent two seasons with Corowa-Rutherglen in 2014-15 before crossing to Lavington the following season.
He ruptured his ACL in his first match for the Panthers in the opening round and missed the remainder of the season before signing as coach of Collingullie-GP.
The talented forward is an O&M representative and said the influx of O&M stars into the Riverina league had created a huge buzz about the shortened season.
"I'm pumped about the season and all the O&M players signing has certainly generated a fair bit of interest in the competition," he said.
"Getting the players the calibre of Brayden O'Hara and James Grills who have won flags at Albury to Tigers adds a bit of excitement.
"I can't wait to play alongside them."
Wagga Tigers host Osborne in the opening round on July 18 and Gestier expects the Hume league premiers to be more than competitive in the Riverina league.
"To be honest I don't think there is a heap of difference between the two leagues," he said.
"Osborne are a powerhouse in the Hume league and will be very competitive.
"We won't have to wait long to find out anyway with the two defending premiers meeting in round one.
"Osborne joining has only added to the excitement."
