The ruckman could play as many as five games for the Saints, whose last win in the Tallangatta league came almost exactly two years ago.

Hancock's inclusion is a timely boost as the bottom two sides in the competition prepare to go head-to-head.

"He'll be massive for us, especially working with the younger guys coming through," Saints coach Zach Pleming said.

"He'll definitely be able to help us in that aspect. With the calibre and knowledge he'll provide, they're only going to get better with that experience around them.

"We've been building for a couple of weeks, we've just struggled with consistency. Having those more experienced guys around the younger guys will definitely help me out as a coach and they'll grow another leg to be honest."

Hancock joins his good friends Joel and Scott Montgomery in the Saints team and it my not be the last reunion this season.

"We'll get him for four or five games and then we'll see what his work commitments are like and how his body holds up," Pleming said.

"Hopefully we can pinch a few more at the back end of the year as well."

Meanwhile, Craig Jarvis is set to play his 200^th game for the club.

"It's an enormous achievement," Pleming said. "It shows tremendous loyalty to the club. In the years when we were down and really struggling, he stuck by us.

"These days, loyalty is hard to come by in footy. But this just shows it's still there. it's still around clubs.

"He's been such a great servant to not only the football club but everyone else around it."

ALSO IN SPORT:

Something has to give at Beechworth, where both teams arrive having lost all six games so far.

However, Pleming insists they haven't made the Bushrangers - who will be coached by Brenton Surrey for the rest of the season - a target.

"We're just treating it like any other game," he said. "We understand we're both winless but I feel as though we've been a bit unlucky not to already have a win on the board.

"We'll prepare as normal and hopefully the result falls our way if we do everything right."

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