Eight years after being crowned Group Nine's best player, Ben McAlpine will return to Young.
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McAlpine won the Weissel Medal in his lone season with the club in 2012 and is back for another taste of the cherry capital.
The 36-year-old was considering retirement after a stellar career with Orange CYMS, which saw him win four premierships and another league medal, but believes the year off has left him refreshed.
He's looking forward to a different challenge.
"Having this year off changed my mind on things," McAlpine said.
"I've had two hip surgeries in the last two years and I didn't know how I was going to go with that but having this year off helped."
While McAlpine lived in Young during his first stint with the club this time around he will be part of their travelling contingent.
He believes it will suit his family much better but is looking forward to returning to Young.
"I really enjoyed my time at Young, every year they contact me and I've always been happy with CYMS but just wanted a change," McAlpine said. "It gives me some more motivation to get fit and they're a strong side on paper."
Young coach Nick Hall is thrilled to have McAlpine on board.
With the Cornish brothers already secured, Nick Hall is thrilled to add someone with McAlpine's experience and pedigree to the mix.
"He will be very handy for us," Hall said.
"We've lost Jenko (Tom Jenkins) and Hally (Nic Hall) and were looking to replace at least one of them."
While it has almost been a decade since McAlpine was last in Group Nine, Hall is confident he can step up to the mark once more.
"He's very skillful, very classy and he was a laconic sort of player back then," Hall said.
"You might not see him and he might not be imposing himself all over the game but he played a bit of six, one and three for us and wasn't always bombarding the game but at the end of it he would have four tries.
"He was one of those guys who could just tear it apart when he wanted to and he's always in the game.
"He puts himself into the right places, he's very instinctive, reads the game well, doesn't get beat defensively and is just a sound all-round player.
"He's one of those guys that when you need a result or need points you start thinking where is Ben as you know he is the sort of guy who can spot something and create something."
Hall expects McAlpine can be a great sounding board for some of their other back line talent, which has only been added to with Nick and Tyler Cornish linking with the club.
"Kye Tiedemann played some great footy at the end of the year and is a work in progress," he said.
"He's got a bit of experience with a year and a half playing in the centres of the Pickers and was part of a better side and I think he took the benefits of playing in that side."
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