![Yarrawonga's Dan Howe (centre) was excellent in the 24-point win over Wangaratta Rovers on Saturday. Picture by James Wiltshire Yarrawonga's Dan Howe (centre) was excellent in the 24-point win over Wangaratta Rovers on Saturday. Picture by James Wiltshire](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/andrew.moir/22d44f13-4062-4d28-9e1e-e4811267fd3b.JPG/r0_0_5904_3936_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Yarrawonga's Dan Howe has announced his arrival in the Ovens and Murray Football League after successive five-star performances.
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The former Hawthorn and North Melbourne player had his best game against North Albury in round eight and followed it with another superb showing in the 24-point top of the table win over Wangaratta Rovers on Saturday.
"Probably my form at the start of the year wasn't at the level I would like, the more that I've played and got used to the style and I've got into a rhythm, I'm enjoying it," he said.
Howe is one of only two players in the league this season to have played AFL just last year.
He played 11 games in his only season at North Melbourne after 96 at Hawthorn over eight years.
Ironically, the other player with elite-level experience last year is Rovers' Lochie O'Brien.
The former Carlton player suffered back spasms and was forced to play forward, as opposed to the original plan in the midfield.
It naturally impacted his performance, but he still showed how important he will be in the run home to finals, providing he's fit, with a series of class moments, including a 55m goal from near the scoreboard in the frenetic final quarter.
Two minutes earlier, Howe had snapped a clever left foot goal, so while the game had a host of top performers, that period had a feel of which former AFL star would come out on top.
"Dan's got that class, he's obviously very athletic, earlier in the year he was working out the way we like to play, but he certainly stands up in the big moments," Pigeons' coach Steve Johnson offered.
"Last week was probably his best game, but he's starting to play really consistent footy for us."
Howe kicked two goals in the low-scoring game, clocking up 23 touches, including 16 contested possessions, which was second only to Rovers' coach Sam Murray and Pigeons' Perry Lewis-Smith (both 18).
After starting in the midfield, Howe also had a match-high 12 scoring involvements, with team-mate Matt Casey and O'Brien next best with seven apiece.
Former VFL player Lewis-Smith had a quiet first quarter, like a number of Pigeons, as Rovers dominated possession and territory, but once the super-fit midfielder set up the team's second goal midway through the second quarter, he finished with 32 disposals.
"He's got a huge tank and as the game goes on, he separates himself from other players, in terms of his workrate, and when the game's been on the line, he's been one of our best players this season," Johnson said.
Lewis-Smith showed that ability on debut for the Pigeons when he kicked two goals in the final five minutes, including the match-winner, against Wangaratta in round four.
And Johnson also had enormous praise for fullback and best on ground Ned Pendergast, who kept the dangerous Alex Marklew goalless and to only seven touches.
"His intercept marking, his ability to pick up ground balls under pressure and distributing the ball was first class," he suggested.
Pendergast posted 28 touches, which showed how much time the ball spent in the backline, particularly early, with 10 marks, second only to team-mate Leigh Masters (12), who was outstanding.