Former West Coast Eagle Will Schofield is set to bring his unique sense of humour and skillset to Willow Grove this Saturday when he plays a special one-off game for Hill End.
Schofield joins the club as part of the Carlton Draft, an initiative that sees ex-AFL talent head out to struggling local clubs in an effort to boost them on and off the field.
Schofield played 198 games for the Eagles, primarily in defence, and featured in their 2018 premiership, where he was among his team's best players on grand final day.
These days he has made a name for himself in media circles through his podcast BackChat and in the commentary box for Fox Footy in Perth-based AFL games.
Speaking before the Rovers' big day against opponents Stony Creek where they hope to secure their first win of the season, Schofield was excited to crack in with his new teammates.
"It's actually the second time I've come out of retirement, I did it a couple of years ago for the West Coast WAFL side when they had no players. From memory I kicked one of the great goals the WAFL's ever seen so I'm feeling quite confident actually," he said.
"I'm a couple of years older, I would say not a lot of fitness between then and now but I'm feeling quite good, excited to get to Hill End."
Schofield has already volunteered to play in the ruck, saying he hopes to "get around the footy, get a bit of attacking prowess through the middle and maybe drop behind the ball for a bit too."
"I probably provide more banter than quality of football so that's where my head will be at.
"I cannot guarantee fitness. I can guarantee effort, I can guarantee being a good teammate but I cannot guarantee fitness."
While Schofield is keeping it light and breezy, he did say the prospect of being involved in football at a local level again was appealing.
"Footy's about people and, in country clubs in country areas, the clubs are the heartbeat of the whole area. I was just interested in getting involved for that element and I think the footy stuff's important but winning and losing doesn't dictate footy sides in the country, it's more about the people you share it with," he said.
"Ideally we have a great game, we win after a couple of big rev up speeches from me and then we can share some beers in the changerooms after. That's basically my perfect day of footy.
"I may be adding as much value behind the bar as I will on the field. There'll be a joint focus for me on the day."
Hill End and Stony Creek will kick off at 2:20pm. Spots at the ground are limited, so attendees are warned to plan accordingly.
The Rovers are running free shuttle buses to and from the ground to help with reduced parking.
For more details head to the Hill End FNC Facebook page.