Marrar have dropped the recruitment bombshell of the summer securing former Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong premiership forward James Lawton for this year's Farrer League season.
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Lawton will make his return to AFL Riverina football in black-and-red after electing to play under Shane Lenon at Marrar following his move back to Wagga.
"He'll be a potential matchwinner, no doubt about that," Lenon said.
"You've just got to look at what he's done at a higher level, in the Ovens and Murray and Goulburn Valley."
The 28-year-old spearhead spent last season with Mansfield in the Goulburn Valley League, where he kicked 49 goals and was one of only two players to play all 18 games.
Prior to that, the key forward had two years with Corowa-Rutherglen in the Ovens and Murray League.
In 2017, he was the Kangaroos' best in six of his 12 games, and kicked 24 goals. But 2018 was overshadowed by a contract dispute when Lawton requested a release after moving to Mansfield for work.
Lawton won a Riverina League premiership with GGGM as a teenager in 2008.
After going close to being drafted, he then played for Coburg in the Victorian Football League for two seasons before time in the South Australian National Football League with Central Districts and Glenelg.
He returned to the Lions in 2015 and booted 60 goals in 14 games in 2016; his last season in the Riverina League.
The Bombers are rapt to have him.
"Obviously key position players and key forwards are hard to come by, especially ones who have performed at a higher level and can really play," Lenon said.
"He can play any key position on the ground really. It's certainly a good get. We blooded a lot of young blokes last year and our 17s won the comp. He'll be a real positive for those guys. They can learn a lot."
Lenon acknowledged it's of some concern that Lawton is within one game of being deregistered (his career suspension record stands at 15 games, one shy of the limit). But that's been the case for at least five seasons and the coach says that recent record is what matters more.
"The positive is he's done the right thing for a long period of time," Lenon said.
"It's obviously a little bit of a concern, but he's shown good behaviour over a long period and he's really matured in that regard."
Lawton is the first big signing for Marrar, whose losses since last year include premiership players Adam Whyte, Matt Parks, Jackson Sanbrook and Tyler Cunningham.
Lenon is also pleased to note the Bombers have welcomed young GGGM forward Hugh Templeton and backman Cane Graetz from Collingullie-Glenfield Park while ex-Bomber Josh O'Callaghan has returned from Sydney.
Marrar's season kicks off at Coleambally on April 4.
Lawton is expected to feature in their pre-season practice matches in March, against Collingullie-Glenfield Park and, potentially, his old club GGGM.
Ironically, he kicked 10 goals in the pre-season game between the Lions and Bombers when he returned to GGGM five years ago.
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