Mangoplah-Cookardinia United-Eastlakes have snared the mid-season signing of accomplished state-league defender Nick Collins.
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The Goannas have upped the ante in their bid to force their way into the Riverina League top five with the plan to inject Collins late in the season.
Collins retired from the North Eastern Australian Football League (NEAFL) at the end of last season and is currently holidaying overseas.
He is not due back for another month but will return in time to play MCUE's final six home and away games, plus potentially a finals series.
Collins, 26, has more than 120 NEAFL games to his name at Belconnen, Ainslie and Canberra Demons.
MCUE coach Jeremy Rowe believes he will be a valuable addition to the Goannas.
"Nick's going to bring leadership and experience from a higher level and we're really excited to have him," Rowe said.
"He's a high calibre individual, a great clubman and I'm looking forward to having his dash off half-back and also having him pinch hit through the middle."
Collins made a name for himself at NEAFL level as a running half-back player and that is where Rowe plans to use him at the Goannas.
He originally did not plan to play at all this season until MCUE swooped.
"It's a unique situation...where Nick was unable to commit to state league footy this year as he was going overseas," Rowe explained.
"While footy wasn't really on his radar, he knew a few Belconnen boys who were travelling down the highway to play for us, and being his mates, we were able to get him to squeeze a bit of footy in at the end of the year."
The signing of Collins comes on the back of the Goannas' biggest performance of the year, where they belted the previously undefeated Griffith by 65 points last Saturday.
They now face an important clash with Collingullie-Glenfield Park on Saturday, where a win there will see them take the Demons' spot in the top five at the halfway mark of the season.
MCUE had hoped to bring Jordan Doering in for Saturday's game but that will not eventuate.
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