Yarrawonga signs former Eastern Football League superstar Leigh Williams

The one-time Melbourne AFL rookie blasted 583 goals over a 10-year period, prior to COVID wrecking the past two seasons.

"I played some VFL footy (at Williamstown) with Willie Wheeler and Leigh Masters quite a while ago now (2013), and the location of the town appeals to me, I've been there on a few camping trips as a young pup," he revealed.

Williams is a four-time winner of the EFL goalkicking and played in a premiership at Norwood in 2014.

"He's been a standout, whenever we've done a top 50 players, he always features prominently, he's a game-changing forward," league general manager football operations Dyson Baker suggested.

Injuries cruelled the now 31-year-old's hopes of playing AFL after falling into a coma following a game for Melbourne's reserves.

"I got a bad concussion and had some delayed effects, I didn't sleep for the entire week and ended up with meningitis," he revealed.

"It was like I had a mini-stroke, I ended up losing feeling in half my body, I passed out and spent three days in a coma."

However, the 195cm, 102kg powerhouse recovered to carve out a fine career at Norwood.

"When he came back, his strength really made the difference, he was always athletic, but he became so hard to match up on," Baker offered.

"There's usually a defender in a competition who can strangle a forward, but nobody could really gain a hold of him, he'd get off the leash at some stage."

Williams spent the last season in the Outer East league but, in a positive sign for the Pigeons, is chasing a higher standard.

"It was a bigger drop than I was anticipating, I want to play some really high level footy again and get the most out of my career," he offered.

Williams will spend the summer season at Southern Districts in Darwin.

The Pigeons have had a strong recruiting campaign, snaring ex-Williamstown-listed player Nick Fothergill and Geelong Football League star Jye Cross, with a host of personnel involved.

ALSO IN SPORT

"They're all young business people and they're all still passionate about the club," ex-coach Chris Kennedy said of the large group.

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