Tumbarumba recruit Hunter Clayton enjoying Upper Murray experience

The Lavington junior played a handful of games for Border-Walwa when his father was at the club, but the Magpies went into recess last year before COVID-19 stopped all competitions.

However, a call from Tumbarumba captain James Waters in the off-season, who was heading back to his home club from the Panthers, couldn't have come at a better time for Clayton.

"It's definitely country football and I'm really enjoying it. It's a lot more social," Clayton said.

"You'll bump into a bloke on the ground and call each other names, but you'll buy each other a beer after the game, which is completely different to in town.

"Jim (Waters) got wind of it and rang me at the right time and we went ahead with it.

"The club has been so welcoming and accommodating since I've been there."

It's been a reunion of sorts for Clayton who is back alongside former Lavington teammates Harry Nunn and Tristan Golding.

"We try to go up in the one car and it's generally the short straw to see who drives home," he said.

"A lot of the Lavi boys that went up haven't played there for a couple of years.

"'Ready' (Jacob Read) did his ankle and had a couple of years off and Harry Nunn has been at Henty. I played a lot of juniors with Harry and Tristan Golding, so it's good to get the band back together."

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Clayton said he tried to press his claims as a forward upon arrival to Tumbarumba, but has found himself back in a familiar home in defence.

"The first week we ended up having three reserves on the bench and I think I played on every line, but I played half back on the weekend and I think that's my spot now," he said.

"I tried to sell myself as a forward but we had 'Hitcho' (Daniel Hitchens) up there on the weekend who kicked 11 and 'Ready' has been kicking a couple a week, so I was the one to get pushed out (laughs)."

The Roos travel to Corryong on Saturday to take on Federal after it was belted by 251 points by Cudgewa last round.

"The boys in town talk a lot and we know we can't be complacent with it," Clayton said.

"You look at us when we got knocked off by 80 the first week and then showed up Bullioh the week after.

"It's good footy in the sense it's so open and you don't know what's going to happen week to week.

"A good three or four players can change the whole dynamic of your team.

"They play 16 a side so it opens it right up. As we've got more games under our belt we've started linking up better in the middle and it does open the ground right up to give our forwards the best service."

Meanwhile, Cudgewa meets Bullioh in a rematch of the 2019 grand final at Cudgewa.

Blues' star forward Kylin Morey is in ominous form off the back of 20 goals against Federal last weekend to take his tally to 29 from two games.

Corryong has the bye.

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