Jake Wood moved home to Leeton after completing his engineering degree at university.

"Corowa's only two hours away and playing at Geelong West, which is six hours away, wasn't realistic," he suggested.

Wood lived with the Roos' Jy Lane, prior to moving home.

"I've got a couple of my best mates from there in Jy Lane and Will Robinson and I definitely thought it would be worth playing there (in the higher standard of O and M)," he explained.

Wood's signing for the rest of the year could not have come at a better time for the injury-battered Roos.

The club is desperately striving to break an eight-year finals drought, but now has four players out in Bill Hansen (knee), Charlie Nastasi (blood clots), Matt Grantham (broken leg) and Kade Kuschert (plantar fasciitis).

"He's just what we need, I'm telling you," assistant coach Dave Melksham offered.

Despite the terrible luck with injuries, the Roos have now had some success with recruits after the start of the season with former Northern Blues VFL player Cameron Barrett signing in late April.

When COVID struck in 2020 and all football in Victoria, apart from the AFL, was abandoned, 23-year-old Wood played for Leeton Whitton in the AFL Riverina Championship.

The Crows fell to Wagga Tigers, which had Albury players Brayden O'Hara, Jake Gaynor and Jim Grills.

Ironically, Wood is expected to face that trio when Albury hosts the Roos on Saturday.

The Roos need an upset win to realistically keep their top five hopes alive, but that will be an enormous test, given the injury toll.

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The Tigers aren't a tall side, so Wood's strong 190cm, 88kg frame will provide an invaluable option against joint Doug Strang Medal winner Jacob Conlan.

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