Former Mangoplah-Cookardinia United-Eastlakes big man, Andrew Dickins, can't wait to re-start his football career next year with Farrer League club Charles Sturt University.
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Dickins is the Bushpigs' first key recruit for 2021, following former Goannas coach Travis Cohalan to the university.
After sitting out 2020 due to concerns about COVID-19, the experienced ruckman/forward hopes he can have an impact at CSU.
"I am excited about it. It's closer to home, so I'll still have time for family and football instead of just football and hopefully I can teach some kids some stuff coming across as a senior player," Dickins said.
"I've been in town for nearly 10 years and they're always a club that no-one hates, and they've been a bit of that 'battler' club that just ticks along. So it will be good to help them out and help some of their youth out."
With well over 100 games experience in the Riverina League with MCUE, Dickins comes with finals experience including their last two senior grand finals in 2014 and 2015 (kicking 52 goals across those two seasons).
However, he sat out season 2020, taking a safety-first approach in the pandemic.
"My wife's pregnant and we've got another baby due in November... then Covid hit and it was like 'What's going on?' so it was more of a family decision," Dickins said.
"I made the decision at the height of it, in the first wave and I'm a man of my word so I stuck with it."
Leaving MCUE wasn't easy. But with a growing family (their second son is due in November) and living right near the university, Dickins said the timing was right.
"I love Mango, I love the club but it's more about having two young ones (soon), with the travel... and Trav's a good mate of mine."
Dickins has kept an eye on the Farrer League in recent years, with some good friends playing.
"It is a slower comp, I find, and a bit more of a physical league which will probably suit me better a little bit, being a bigger body," he said.
He is keen to play a senior role, but wasn't after a formal leadership position, despite experience coaching under 15s and under 17s at MCUE.
"I just want to go there, bring a bit of knowledge - if I've got some, haha - and help out. I do enjoy that development side and it's probably one of my values just to help people out. If I can teach one person something it's worth it," he said.
"But I won't go in there too cocky. I want to go in there and learn as well."
Cohalan was thrilled to lock in Dickins at the Bushpigs.
"He's certainly one of the better big men in the region in terms of ruck and the ability to rest forward, in my opinion," Cohalan said.
"He brings good skill and experience to the team but he's also a good person on and off the field. He'll be a good addition to the club I think."
Cohalan said his on-field presence and leadership is first rate. The Bushpigs had already secured Lachie Moore and Wayde Archibald to stay on as assistant coaches and are working on retaining the rest of their intended 2020 list.