The Goannas best and fairest winner signed with Canberra Demons over the off-season after he moved to the nation's capital for university.

However the COVID-19 pandemic has forced university studies online and now with the cancellation of the NEAFL, Kendall will return to the Goannas.

MCUE were going to be able to select Kendall whenever he was free of NEAFL duties, courtesy of the new player interchange agreement, but will now get him for the full Riverina League season.

Kendall believes it could be a timely return as the Goannas chase their maiden Riverina League premiership.

"I feel like we could really win it this year, even though it's only a shorter season," Kendall said.

Kendall took his game to a new level last year. He kicked 46 goals from 16 games playing at centre-half-forward.

He claimed MCUE's best and fairest, and also finished equal fourth in the Jim Quinn Medal.

Kendall said he enjoyed the pre-season at Canberra Demons and was disappointed the NEAFL season was not going ahead.

"Yeah definitely. We had a lot of pre-season training before it stopped and yeah it was definitely a step up and a lot harder," he said.

"Once the NEAFL got cancelled, I was already back here because COVID cancelled uni so I was back here doing uni online. I've already been down here and training so it was an easy decision to play back at Mango."

The return of Kendall puts MCUE in a strong position for the shortened Riverina League season.

The Goannas have also been able to lure Harry and Matt Collins and Tom Keogh back to the club, while also adding in Zac Wiencke from Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong, Mitch Sykes from Turvey Park, Kieran Shea from Temora and Will Murray from CSU.

Key defenders Tim Smith (East Wagga-Kooringal) and Blake Chapman (Belconnen) are their two main losses from last year.

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