Yarrawonga nabs ex-Eastern Football and Amateurs' player Harry Haley

Harry Haley had time at North Ringwood after spending the bulk of his career with De La Salle Old Collegians in the Victorian Amateurs.

"I came up here as a kid to Yarrawonga to play a tennis tournament and I've always loved Yarrawonga and had a few mates from up here, like Lach Howe, they're down in Melbourne now, but I thought I'd have a change," he said.

Haley recently moved to the region as a builder.

"He (Haley) was a pretty prodigious talent as a junior but had some bung shoulders back then," Howe said.

"If he gets a good run at it he can seriously play, like he's pretty tough and his skills are pretty sharp, he could be a very good pick-up for 'Yarra'."

Haley, who turns 28 next March, can play either half-forward or in the midfield.

"He's tough, inside player, head over the footy, I think he'll do well up there," Old Collegians' president Matt O'Callaghan said.

The club boss raved about Haley as a clubman and the fact North Ringwood did the same, after only a short stint, is an indication of his popularity.

"He was a great team man, everyone loved him, he was a personality, I know he was much loved around the footy club," secretary Neil Sheppard said.

Haley isn't a pacy on-baller, but the Pigeons have landed a strong player.

"I'm reasonably fit for somebody who's played as much footy as I have," he said.

Howe was asked if the arrival of a great mate could lead to him returning to the club, which would be an enormous boost to its premiership hopes in 2021, but he's in his first year as a barrister.

"It might be a bit hard at this stage but you never say never," the 27-year-old said.

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"Winning a flag at 'Yarra' is something that I'd like to do before my time is up, it's just finding a time which suits.

"You've got to do the hard yards early to set yourself up and it's just whether I can justify six hours in the car every weekend, at this stage I would more than likely play down here (Melbourne)."