Collins joins the Dragons after spending the past three seasons – winning three premierships – with Bridgewater in the Loddon Valley league.

With Collins’ signing he is going back to his roots given he played about 100 junior games with Sandhurst Marist Dockers, as well as 15 senior games with the Dragons while he was at the Bendigo Pioneers in 2005-06 before being drafted to Richmond.

“I’ve had a ripping time playing footy with some good friends and family at Bridgewater, but I’m looking for the next challenge and Sandhurst is just like a home club,” Collins said on Thursday.

“It’s where I played some senior footy as a young bloke and I’m just hoping to have some success there and try to help them go back-to-back.”

Collins coached Bridgewater to its 2014 and 2015 premierships – during which he had a 35-1 record in charge – but the 27-year-old joins the Dragons purely as a player.

“I’m just a player, but certainly happy to help Wayne (Primmer, coach) whenever he may need it,” said Collins, who is a one-point player for the Dragons.

“I just want to enjoy my footy and try to get a kick.

“Each time I saw Sandhurst play this year you couldn’t help but be impressed. They finished games out strongly and there’s a lot of talent within the group.

“They didn’t rely on any one particular player up forward, so there’s a fair bit of versatility in the side and a lot of midfield depth. 

“I’m really looking forward to playing with Lee Coghlan and Adam Parry, who are a couple of blokes I grew up alongside.”

While Collins is on the move from Bridgewater, he says he will return to the club in the future to finish his career with the Mean Machine.