A two-time AFL premiership player will line up for Gordon in the Central Highlands Football League this year.
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Shannon Byrnes signed with the club at the weekend, opting to play under Gordon coach Ron Watt, who formerly worked with Byrnes at Geelong in the VFL.
He joins the Eagles following a number of years at Deer Park, where he won multiple premierships in the Western Region league.
Gordon president Peter Clifford said the club was immensely pleased.
"He's probably the biggest name we've ever added to the club in all honesty," he said.
"Ron used to coach the Geelong VFL side and coached Shannon when he was younger."
Byrnes played 11 seasons in the AFL, winning two premierships with the Geelong Cats in 2007 and 2009, before finishing his career with the Melbourne Demons.
He earned five best-on-ground votes in Deer Park's grand final win in 2019, in what was almost his last year of football.
"He was going to hang up the boots after his last game there, but then Ron got talking to him and he decided to have a run with us," Clifford said.
Gordon co-head coach Adam Toohey said Byrnes was an important addition to the club, on and off the field.
After joining an Eagles training camp over the weekend, Toohey said Byrnes brought a wealth of knowledge to the group.
"He was adding his two cents on every drill which was really good," Toohey said.
"He looked super quick and super clean and has a lot of polish, which is what we've lacked a bit over the last few years."
"He'll probably play through the middle and be able to go forward and kick goals."
Byrnes joins a revamped Gordon list in 2020.
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