LEETON United's rivals will have to contend with not two, but three Gardner brothers this year, with Eric to join older siblings Fred and Henri at the Pascoe Cup defending premiers.
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The day before attacking dynamos Fred and Henri helped United snap a 27-year title drought, 15-year-old brother Eric was helping Lake Albert Red win a premiership of their own in under-16s.
But the brothers hope to taste that winning feeling again in the same jumper when Leeton begins it's title defence next weekend.
"In the end it was a very easy decision for Fred and I (to re-sign with Leeton)," Henri said.
"We wanted to get back into the Pascoe Cup (after missing the season before) and make a big impact, we couldn't have asked for a better season."
Eric is also an attacking player and could form a dangerous triple threat with his brothers in 2021.
"We've wanted to do it for a long time. With his height and build he's a big boy, and now he's ready to step in," Henri said.
"We had to bring Eric with us, it would be too hard to play against him."
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Fred is confident Eric is ready to handle the step up to first grade if called upon.
"Eric is just a wonderful player. Watching him carve up last year in games, it's just not his level," Fred said.
"It's massive for him, it's a very big step to be playing first grade, but he'll have a lot of experienced players and his two brothers around him.
"I'm very happy to have him playing with us than against him. He's pretty quick and he has the hustle Henri and I have.
"We train together and do basically everything together training wise. He's really exciting to have a big year."
Fred is confident Leeton United is ready to handle being the hunted for the first time since the nineties in season 2021.
"I don't mind who comes for us. The good thing about us is we did win but that was last year, this year is a new year.
"Every team is going to come out strong against us, but if we continue how we went about it last year, we'll be fine.
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