RETIRED Collingwood and Fremantle superstar Chris Tarrant is expected to draw thousands of fans to Melton South’s season-opener against arch-rivals Melton on Saturday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Tarrant, 34, will pull on the boots for the Panthers in the opening round of the Ballarat Football League, in what is a massive coup for the club.
At this stage, his appearance will just be a one-off, but Melton South president Peter Earl said there was a possibility of further games in the future.
Earl said the club was also close to signing Barry Hall for the match, but work commitments did not allow it.
“We’re very enthused about it, it’s going to be a massive day for the club,” he said. “It’s about promoting the club and the league and we hope thousands of people front up for what is always our biggest game of the year.”
In an added bonus, the 268-gamer will also train at Melton Recreation Reserve on Thursday night.
Earl said having Tarrant meet the playing squad before game-day was a non-negotiable in getting him across.
“We always wanted to get him across for training,” Earl said.
“That will give the boys a chance to meet and for Mark (coach Mark Pedersen) to figure out exactly where we will play him.”
Tarrant was one of the highest-flying forwards in the early 2000s, booting 299 goals for the Magpies between 1998 and 2006, and was awarded the 2003 AFL mark of the year.
He moved to Fremantle between 2007 and 2010, assuming the full-back role, before returning to Collingwood for two final seasons in 2011 and 2012.
Since retirement, he has played in Tasmanian State League and has made one-off appearances at a number of other clubs.
After a somewhat disappointing off-season in which Melton South lost a handful of key players, Earl said there was genuine enthusiasm surrounding Saturday’s fixture.
The match against Melton will be played at Melton Recreation Reserve, starting at 2.15pm.
