Imposing big man Brodie A'Vard has signed with Wodonga Saints.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A'Vard committed to the Saints last week and made a surprise debut for the club in its 223-point spanking of Wahgunyah on the weekend.
The man mountain had signed with Ovens and Murray league powerhouse Albury over the summer.
However, A'Vard and the Tigers parted company last month after he was rarely spotted at the sportsground over the pre-season.
In a further bonus for the Saints, they have also signed Matt Robinson.
Robinson has had previous stints with Barnawartha and CDHBU and his huge frame will be another boost to the Saints' big man stocks and aspirations of climbing the ladder.
Saints coach Zack Pleming said it was a pleasant surprise to sign both A'Vard and Robinson on the eve of their season opener.
"It all happened bloody quickly during the week," Pleming said.
"Matty came to training and said Brodie was looking for a new club.
"So I told him to bring him down to training and it all went from there.
"We are really rapt to sign the pair, especially the timing of it all.
"Good news at the Saints doesn't happen very often to be honest.
"Getting two big units like that rocking up to training and wanting to play for you is unheard of really."
In a further surprise, Pleming revealed A'Vard played predominantly as a ruck rover instead of in the ruck.
"Brodie is coming off an injury so he said to me he was happy to play in the midfield but not in the ruck," he said.
"So that's what we did.
"He spent most of the match as a ruck rover and went forward a few times to rest.
"I think he contested one ruck contest for the match.
"Just his presence on the ground, you could tell the younger players had a lot more confidence.
"The self-belief gained from having a player the calibre of Brodie play is also a huge boost.
"It just gives you that reassurance that we are on the right track and our fortunes are on the way up."
A'Vard was among the Saints' better players and kicked one goal.
ALSO IN SPORT
Pleming labelled A'Vard the club's biggest signing in recent memory.
"There is no sugarcoating it, Brodie arriving at the club is huge in my opinion," he said.
"The club hasn't been in a position for a long-time to attract a high-profile recruit like Brodie.
"We are more accustomed to being the hard-luck story and missing out on big signings.
"But Brodie came to training and enjoyed the vibe, the group and what we are trying to achieve.
"It's only early but he has fitted in nicely and is a good clubman as well, which is also what we are after.
"But obviously is a very good footballer as well."
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark https://www.bordermail.com.au/
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter: @bordermail
- Follow us on Instagram @bordermail
- Follow us on Google News.