Koroit signs Blair McCutcheon for 2024 Hampden league season

Blair McCutcheon will return to Koroit for the 2024 season after four years at Warrnambool and District league club Merrivale.

In his time at the Tigers, McCutcheon won a league best and fairest and featured in their losing grand final appearance last month.

He has played the majority of his career at Koroit, where he started as a junior, made his senior debut in 2014 and later featured in three senior premierships.

Koroit coach Chris McLaren was thrilled to get McCutcheon back on-board at the Saints.

"He's a great fella... I think footy clubs, you're always trying to get your locally born-and-bred club players back together," he said.

"Blair's been a really good player at Hampden league level... I'm sure he will be again."

The six-time premiership coach sees McCutcheon playing a key role in the midfield, with his experience and leadership also vital for a playing group that looked vastly younger in 2023.

"He's a hard runner, good ball user and can go forward and kick goals," McLaren said.

"Blair was over watching us play when we lost the elimination final and I chatted to him after that game and he said how young the team was now and he feels like he can have a bit of an impact on that group with his leadership."

"Blair's a great trainer, he keeps himself very fit."

McLaren, who said retention looked strong at Victoria Park this off-season, said the club was looking to try and bring a number of past players back to the club, as well as bolster its depth to put more selection pressure on the group.

"They're always our first target - guys who have played at the club before," he said. "We'd love to put in a little more experience... and size around our younger guys.

"We certainly hope to bring a few more in, just to help us hopefully rise up the ladder a few spots again."

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