HE won't play every week, but Nathan Thompson is returning to Kyneton this season as the Tigers rejoin the Bendigo Football League senior competition.
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Key forward Thompson will play at least five home and away games for the Tigers.
Thompson - who played 179 AFL games for Hawthorn and North Melbourne - was co-coach of the Tigers with Derrick Filo in 2012.
He played for Doncaster last year, booting nine goals in the Sharks' 59-point win over Wantirna South in the Eastern Football League grand final.
"He's got a fairly hectic schedule with his family and work requirements in Melbourne, but with a few mates playing at the club this year and being the person he is, he was happy to offer another opportunity to assist us," Kyneton coach Mark Adamson said on Thursday.
"He'll play a minimum of five games for us, which are likely to be home games, but hopefully, we can work on getting a few more."
If the Tigers are good enough to get there, five games would qualify 36-year-old Thompson to play finals.
"As much as he plays himself down, he's still far from washed up at local level," Adamson said.
"He kicked nine goals for Doncaster in their grand final last year, so that would show that he's still going fairly well when the whips are cracking.
"Structure-wise it's a massive coup for us because he fits the bill of a type of player who we don't have, so that's another added bonus of it."
Kyneton plays Eaglehawk at home in round one on Saturday, April 5.
