Wodonga Raiders have landed a stunning late off-season recruiting coup in 204cm former VFL player Darrean Wyatt.
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The 31-year-old was selected by Collingwood in the 2015 AFL Rookie Draft at No. 64, playing 12 games for the Pies at state level the following season.
He never played a senior AFL match, but also spent time at VFL clubs Coburg and Frankston.
Wyatt spent last season with Port Melbourne Colts in the Southern Football League.
"To bring in a guy at this time of the year, it's going to give our whole club a boost," delighted Raiders' assistant coach Joel Price enthused.
"He's going to improve us in a number of areas and structurally we feel he's going to play a really important role at centre half-back."
Wyatt spent time at college in the US with his basketball, so his athleticism is one of his strongest attributes, along with his outstanding intercept marking.
"And he'll be important in that leadership space for us for our young defenders, we don't have many guys in that age bracket through the entire squad," Price added.
Wyatt will be one of the league's biggest players and only adds to an impressive off-season.
The youthful outfit signed former GWS and Western Bulldogs' player Sam Darley in October, while there'a a host of other players, including talented midfielder Tom Bracher, who will play full-time after stints with the Murray Bushrangers and Richmond VFL.
Raiders lacked height last year, but the addition of Wyatt and another player with basketball experience in former Bandits' player Lochie Simpson (206cms) fixes that problem.
The club will start the season at home against Lavington on Good Friday.
