Ex-Essendon Bomber Leroy Jetta will be lacing up his boots for the Pinjarra Tigers in the coming weeks – and potentially the remainder of the season – after joining the club on a type two clearance from Peel Thunder.
The WAFL premiership player suited up in a Pinjarra jumper for the first time over the weekend, but was only able to take to the field for 17 minutes with the game called off in the first quarter due to a player sustaining a significant injury.
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It is understood the former Essendon forward, who booted 80 goals across 93 games in his AFL stint, will play the next few rounds with the Tigers before deciding if he wants to commit to the club for the remainder of the 2018 season.
Jetta reunites with former Peel teammate and good friend Rory O’Brien at Pinjarra, not even a year after the pair helped Peel Thunder claim back-to-back WAFL flags.
Pinjarra coach Troy Vidovich said while nothing was certain, it would be a huge boost for the club to welcome a player of Jetta’s caliber.
“Leroy will play the next few rounds with us before deciding what he wants to do, but in the meantime we’re absolutely loving what he brings to our young group,” he said.
“To have guys like him and Rory, who have experienced so much through footy, sharing their knowledge with our guys just makes us stronger as a club.
“We don’t want to see guys who have so much to give the game not playing footy, so we’re really happy to have Leroy in a Tigers jumper.”
Jetta spent the entirety of the 2016 season on the sidelines as one of 34 Bombers serving a ban for the Essendon supplements saga, but returned to footy in Peel’s premiership campaign last season.
Pinjarra fans got a small taste of what Jetta has in store for them when he took a ripping mark in the opening minutes of their clash against Halls Head.
While he failed to convert the set shot, you can rest assured the gun small forward will be able to find the goals in the Peel Football and Netball League.
Jetta has the potential to change the landscape of the competition’s top three, with Pinjarra, Rockingham and Baldivis likely to be fighting it out for the best ladder position in the lead-up to finals.
He is expected to take to the field this week in Pinjarra’s top-three clash with Rockingham.