Young forward Blake Graham is returning from an enforced extended break to play with Bacchus Marsh in the Ballarat Football League next season.
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The injury-plagued Graham has not played since the 2017 grand final, which the Cobras lost to Darley.
Still an under-18.5 player in that year, he was called up for the grand final after spending some of the season with Western Jets in the TAC Cup.
Although Graham has only played six senior games, he has long be touted as an exciting high-end young talent at Bacchus Marsh.
He twice topped 50 goals in a season in under-16.5s, but a couple of serious knee injuries have hindered his progress.
Bacchus Marsh's new playing coach Tom German said he was delighted to see Graham giving it another go, especially as a Cobras product.
German said he had been talking to Graham regularly about the comeback.
He said Graham looked fit and hopefully it would work out well.
If his body can stand up he has the potential to add some real potency in attack alongside Jake Owen and Aaron Willitts.
German has joined Bacchus Marsh from Mansfield in the Goulburn Valley league for his first coaching job, having filled a vacancy left by the unexpected departure of Peter Davey after just one season at Maddingley Park.
He said his focus since the appointment in September had been meeting and getting to know existing players.
German, who has played with Essendon, Williamstown and Northern Bullants in the VFL, said he was comfortable with the list and confident about building on it.
He said importantly the bulk of the list was being retained, with Liam Mullen (South Warrnambool) the main loss at this point.
German said the evenness of the BFL was caused for encouragement - providing the likes of Bacchus Marsh an opportunity to quickly rebound.
The Cobras missed the finals this year after a run of three seasons in the top six, which produced their first BFL senior premiership in 2016 followed by another grand final appearance a year later.
As well as Graham, Bacchus Marsh has already announced the recruiting of Bryce Carroll, who played with German at Essendon in the VFL.
The 29-year-old Carroll has also played with Aspley in Queensland, Albury in the Ovens and Murray league, and Strathfieldsaye in the Bendigo league.